The American Soul
The American Soul
When Education Controls the Future: America's Soul at a Crossroads
What do presidential inaugurations reveal about America's true foundation? When Warren G. Harding and Jimmy Carter placed their hands on Micah 6:8 during their oaths of office, they continued a tradition that powerfully contradicts the modern narrative of America as a secular nation. This episode of American Soul digs deep into the historical evidence of Christianity's fundamental role in shaping our national identity.
Thomas Jefferson, often misrepresented as a purely secular thinker, spoke in his inaugural address of American principles "enlightened by a benign religion" while acknowledging "an overruling Providence." These words from the supposed champion of church-state separation reveal how thoroughly Christianity informed even the most intellectually independent founder's worldview. The evidence is clear: America's foundation rests firmly on Christian principles, despite ongoing efforts to rewrite that history.
The podcast challenges listeners to examine how they allocate their time. We understand that excellence in career and academics requires dedicated effort, yet somehow expect our spiritual lives and marriages to flourish without the same investment. This disconnect between stated values and actual time allocation reveals much about our priorities. Are we putting our money where our mouth is when it comes to our relationship with God?
Robert Morris Page, the father of US radar and a brilliant physicist, noted that biblical prophecies about Christ, written hundreds of years before his birth, provide compelling scientific evidence for Christianity. The mathematical impossibility of these prophecies being fulfilled by chance led Page to conclude they could only come from "a realm not subject to the laws of time as we know them." This episode makes a compelling case that truly brilliant minds following evidence honestly will inevitably find their way to Christianity.
The episode also shares powerful accounts of Christian martyrs, including the extraordinary story of the Theban Legion – 6,666 Christian soldiers who unanimously refused to participate in pagan sacrifices or swear an oath against Christianity. Even after facing decimation twice, the remaining soldiers stood firm until all were executed. Their sacrifice raises profound questions about our own spiritual commitment in much less challenging circumstances.
Subscribe to American Soul for more explorations of faith, history, and America's founding principles. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear these powerful truths about our nation's Christian heritage.
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how are you folks this is jesse cope 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 sure to appreciate y'all joining me, giving me a little bit of your time and a little piece of your day. I will try, and it wisely. Hopefully it'll give us all some extra tools for our toolbox and hopefully it will help us draw a little closer to God and Jesus Christ as individuals and as a nation. For those of y'all who continue to share the podcast and to tell others about it, thank you so much, very, very grateful for that. For those of y'all who continue to pray for me and for the podcast, thank you Very grateful for your prayers. Definitely need them. For those of y'all who have been around for a while, I'm glad you're coming back. And for those of y'all who are new, hope you enjoy it. Hope you come back.
Speaker 1:Father, thank you for today, for this day which you have made. Help us to rejoice in it, to be glad in it and to do your will throughout it. Forgive us our doubts and our fears and our lack of faith, our unbelief. Help us to overcome them all. Help us to trust you To put you first. To put you first To strive to follow the commands of your son, jesus Christ. To love you with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Be with those who protect us Police, firefighters, ems, law enforcement, well, military. Keep them safe, bring them home safe. Be with those who are overseas Bring them home safe. Be with our educators across the country, whether it's home school, public school, private school. Guide them, father, administrators, coaches, counselors, staff. Be with our leaders, president, vice president, on down here in America, and the leaders in whatever nations around the world where people are listening. Help them to rule in fear of you, father, and not in fear of them. And help us to be concerned, father, with what you want us to do, not with what the world says. God, my words here, father, please, in your son's name, we pray Amen.
Speaker 1:Have you made time for God today to read his word, to pray? Have you made time for your spouse to love them today, to serve them in whatever your capacity is as a husband or a wife? Do you even know what that is? Have you read the scriptures that tell you Look at your last again, folks, we talk about this each day. Look at your last 24 hours. How did you spend your time? Are you pleased with it? Do you wish, though, you would have done a better job, and, if so, how? Is there something that you gave time to that you wish you would not have? Or is there something that you should have given time to that you didn't given time to, that you didn't?
Speaker 1:The great thing about each new day is that it's a new day, right, and you get the opportunity to put your money where your mouth is, so to speak. You get the opportunity to get your priorities in the right order, based on how you spend your time. We talk about this, as I said, each day, but, folks, we realize this, and I saw somebody they were talking about this posting about this recently. But we know we have to put a lot of work into our career, to our athletics if we're at that stage in life academics, you know, we realize those. But then, when it comes to our faith, somehow we suddenly decide that we don't need to put that much work in, and our marriage too. Right, but we want this great relationship with God and Jesus Christ, but we don't want to put that much work in, and our marriage too right. But we want this great relationship with god and jesus christ, but we don't want to put the time in to read scripture and to pray doesn't make a whole lot of sense, folks. So again with that in mind, we will go to our scripture reading for the day Matthew 21.
Speaker 1:The Triumphal Entry. When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples saying to them go into the village opposite you and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say the Lord has need of them and immediately he will send them. This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet. Say to the daughter of Zion Behold, your king is coming to you, gentle, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them and brought the donkey and the colt and laid their coats on them and he sat on the coats. Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. The crowds going ahead of him and those who followed were shouting Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest.
Speaker 1:When he had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred saying who is this? And the crowds were saying this is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee, cleansing the temple. And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And he said to them it is written my house shall be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a robber's den. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple and he healed them.
Speaker 1:But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he had done and the children who were shouting in the temple Hosanna to the son of David, they became indignant and said to him Do you hear what these children are saying? And Jesus said to them yes, have you never read out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies? You've prepared praise for yourself. And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany and spent the night there, the barren fig tree. Now, in the morning, when he was returning to the city, he became hungry, seeing a lone fig tree by the road. He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only. And he said to it no longer shall there ever be any fruit from you. And at once the fig tree withered. Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked how did the fig tree wither all at once? And Jesus answered and said to them Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, be taken up and cast into the sea, it will happen, and all the things you ask in prayer, believing you, will receive Authority.
Speaker 1:Challenged, when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him while he was teaching and said by what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority? Jesus said to them. I also will ask you one thing which, if you tell me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John was from what source? From heaven or from men? And they began reasoning among themselves, saying If we say from heaven, he will say to us Then why did you not believe him? But if we say from men, we fear the people. For they all regard John as a prophet. And answering Jesus. They said we do not know. He also said to them Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things Terrible of the two sons. But what do you think? A man had two sons and he came to the first and said Son, go work today in the vineyard. And he answered I will not. But afterward he regretted it and went. The man came to the second and said the same thing and he answered I will, sir. But he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father? They said the first. Jesus said to them Truly, I say to you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you, for John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and the prostitutes did believe him and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.
Speaker 1:Parable of the Landowner. Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and rented it out to vine growers and went on a journey. When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine growers to receive his produce. The vine growers took his slaves and beat one and killed another and stoned a third Again. He sent another group of slaves, larger than the first, and they did the same thing to them. But afterward he sent his son to them saying they will respect my son. But when the vine growers saw the son, they said among themselves this is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance. They took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
Speaker 1:Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine growers? They said to him, he will bring those wretches to a wretched end and will rent out the vineyard to other vine growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons. Jesus said to them Did you never read in the Scriptures? The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief cornerstone. This came about from the Lord and it is marvelous in our eyes. Therefore, I say to you the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing the fruit of it, and he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces. But on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust. When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they understood that he was speaking about them. When they sought to seize him, they feared the people because they considered him to be a prophet.
Speaker 1:Verse 27, how often do we know the right answer but we're too proud to say it, or we refuse to say it for our own motives. We choose our own way instead of following God and Jesus Christ. Verse 22, and all things you ask in prayer, believing you will receive. You ask in prayer, believing you will receive. How many of us turn to God as our first resort, instead of our last, and how many of us actually believe that we'll receive what we're asking God for? It's pretty hard when you're, when you're struggling, when you have fears or anxiety or concerns right, concerns, right. And you've got to add the caveat here, folks, that it doesn't matter how much you believe in something that's wrong. God's not going to give you that right.
Speaker 1:The asking, the believing, the receiving have to go along with God's will, which is why it's so important. I've asked her years ago that, whatever church we were attending I can't even remember right now, but I remember him talking about the fact that it was so important to talk about that in your prayers with God each day is that you know, once you ask for whatever your petitions were, put them before God to make sure that you were saying you know, but your will God, your will be done, and that you really meant that, even if it didn't turn out exactly the way that you were wanting it to. I think that's pretty hard in some cases for me and I often I wonder if, if god doesn't take us to the point, to the end of ourselves, where we get to that point where we really don't care what it is almost, we just want to make sure that we're doing God's will, because we've screwed up so many times, we've messed it up so many times, right, that we're at that point now where we just want God and Jesus Christ to be in control, and whatever that looks like sounds pretty good to us as long as we have a pretty good clue that we're doing their will. I don't have a lot to say about 14, 15, and 16, but it's the chief priests and the scribes and they see all these wonderful things that he had done, but the children are shouting Hosanna and they become indignant. Even though they had seen all these wonderful things that Jesus had done, all these wonderful signs, they were still. They were mad about it. Actually, instead of being overjoyed, the children were overjoyed, but the leaders were not, and I guess the only comment I have there is just Jesus is about being like little children, you know, and making sure again that we're following God and Jesus Christ and not our own art, which is deceitful, our own desires or the desires of men in the world. All right, let's see what we get into here for Medal of Honors today.
Speaker 1:Lester Archer, us Civil War, fort Harrison, virginia, ranked Sergeant Echo, company 96, new York Infantry, us Army. Action date September 29, 1864. Action place Fort Harrison, virginia, usa. Citation gallantry and placing the colors of his regiment on the fort Accredited to Plattsburgh, clinton County, new York. Awarded posthumously. Presentation date and awards or details April 6, 1865.
Speaker 1:Born 1838. Fort Ann, washington County, new York, united States. Died October 27, 1864, wilderness, virginia, united States. Buried non-recoverable. Lester Archer. William J Archonald I'm saying that right.
Speaker 1:Frank Corporal, us Civil War, india Company, 30th Ohio Infantry, us Army, medal of Honor. Date May 22, 1863. Action Place, vicksburg, mississippi, gallantry, in the Charge of the Volunteer Storming Party 1863, action place, vicksburg, mississippi, gallantry, in the charge of the Volunteer Storming Party, which is in quotes Volunteer Storming Party Accredited to Canal Dover, chescarwis County, ohio, not awarded. Posthumously presented 10 July 1894, born 3 June 1840, fillsburg, hess, germany, died 10 May 1919, riverview Cemetery, pw PM. Wtac 125, tac 126, tac 8, trenton, new Jersey, united States. Tac-126, tac-8, trenton, new Jersey, united States.
Speaker 1:Again, one of those interesting cases. Folks Lived through the Civil War all the way through the rest of the 1800s and then up through World War I. That had to be something to see us going back into World War I. William J Archinall, volunteer Storming Party, clinton. Lycurgus Armstrong. Ranked Private US Civil War Delta Company, 83rd Infantry, indiana Infantry, us Army, 22 May 1863, vicksburg, also gallantry, in the charge of the volunteer storming party Accredited to Indianapolis, marion County, indiana. Not awarded. Posthumously Presented 15 August 1894. Born March 3, 1844, franklin, johnson County, indiana. Died 5 January 1899, cincinnati, ohio, united States. Buried Mount Fountain Park Cemetery 5, tech 62, winchester, indiana, united States. Let's see, yeah, we can do one more, maybe even two, we'll see Abraham K Kearns.
Speaker 1:Abraham Kearns Arnold. Rank captain, highest rank brigadier general US Civil War, 5th US Cavalry, us Army. April 10, 1864, davenport Bridge, virginia. By a gallant charge against a superior force of the enemy extricated his command from a perilous position in which it had been ordered accredited to Bedford, bedford County, pennsylvania. Not awarded. Posthumously. Presented 1 September 1893, born March 24, 1837, bedford, bedford County, pennsylvania. Died 23 November 1901, cold Springs, new York, united States. Buried St Phillips in the Highlands Cemetery. Garrisoned in New York, united States.
Speaker 1:Abram Kearns Arnold. Matthew Arthur, signal Quartermaster US Civil War, uss Arnolet, us Navy. February 14, 1862, fort Henry and Donaldson, tennessee, citation. Served on board the USS Arnolet at the reduction of Fort Henry and Donaldson 6th and 14th February 1862, and other actions carrying out his duties as signal quartermaster and captain of the rifled bow gun. Signal quartermaster Arthur was conspicuous for valor and devotion, serving most faithfully, effectively and valiantly. Accredited to Boston, suffolk County, massachusetts. Not awarded posthumously, february 1864, born 1835 in Scotland. Died June 17, 1890, san Francisco, california, united States. Buried San Francisco National Cemetery, san Francisco, california, united States. Born in Scotland in 1835, died in San Francisco in 1890.
Speaker 1:Matthew Arthur saw a pretty good chunk of the world Lester Archer, william J Archinal, clinton, l Armstrong, abraham K Arnold and Matthew Arthur just some more names to throw out there, folks, names we need to remember, men who either sacrificed their lives or were willing to, and the women who loved them that were willing to give them All right. Moving on, so a little bit of history today. This is a quote by Robert Morris Page, who was considered the father of US radar, a physicist. So this is for all of the people that tell you that God and science are incompatible, right, kind of like the people that tell you that law and politics and God are incompatible, as opposed to. I think James Wilson was our founding father who told us that they were like twin sisters. Maybe Don't hold me to that one. No, I can't remember for sure. This is Robert Moore's page.
Speaker 1:The authenticity of the writings of the prophets is established by such things as the prediction of highly significant events far in the future.
Speaker 1:That could be accomplished only through a knowledge obtained from a realm that is not subject to the laws of time as we know them.
Speaker 1:One of the great evidences is the long series of prophecies concerning Jesus, the Messiah.
Speaker 1:These prophecies extend hundreds of years prior to the birth of Christ. They include a vast amount of detail concerning Christ himself, his nature and the things he would do when he came, things which to the natural world or the scientific world remain to this day completely inexplicable. That's one of the things, folks, I've said before. I'll say again if you have somebody that's really bright, if they're really interested in the truth, they're going to end up a Christian. If they're really searching and they're really interested in the truth, you don't have to worry about those really super bright people, because they're going to find their way to God, jesus Christ, and this is one of those ways. Right, this is a great example of somebody who was really bright but science minded, because when you start to look at the data one of the things that I've heard this from multiple really bright people over the years that I think gives them a lot of comfort in their faith as they look at these prophecies that they know historically were written before Jesus was born, and not just a year or two and not even a couple decades, but some of these prophecies extended, as Mr Page said here, hundreds of years prior to the birth of Christ. And then here comes Christ, and Christ fits these prophecies, he answers these prophecies. He fulfills these prophecies, and the odds of that are astronomically small, to the point of being impossible. And so, for a scientist looking at that going, well, here's all these people writing all this stuff. And then, hundreds of years later, it turned out to be true. Hmm, there's a comedian that does a great routine. I wish I could, uh, emulate it, but I can't right now. I can't even think of it completely. But he, he did that. He said does that mean it's the, you know, the guaranteed word of God? No, but we're starting to get pretty close, uh, warren G Harding, in 1921 and Jimmy Carter in 1977, took the presidential oath of office on Micah 6.8.
Speaker 1:And what is Micah 6.8? He has shown you, o man, what is good and what does the Lord require of you? But to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. How many of us get up each day? You know we talked about earlier on one. One of the podcasts talks about hitting your knees. How many of us get up each day and we tell God hey, could you just help me to act justly today, to love mercy and to walk humbly before you. It doesn't have to be in those exact words. But how many of us is that our intent have to be in those exact words? But how many of us is that our intent To get up each day to mind our own business, to act justly in all the scenarios that God puts before us, to be merciful, to love mercy and to walk humbly before God.
Speaker 1:And again, the presidents Harding and Carter putting their hands on this. Folks, if we were such a pagan republic, if we were founded as so many on the left have sold that lie for the last hundred years through education, if we were founded as a secular society, then why in the world would not only would our presidents put their hand on the Bible, but why would we allow it? We couldn't allow that. We couldn't allow that. If we were a pagan society, if we were a coexist society, even right and this is probably an angle that the left is going to start to work pretty hard is to find a president who's willing to put their hand on the Quran or the satanic Bible or the religious writings of Buddha or Hindu or some other such nonsense. Folks, we're not any of those nations, we're not even a Jewish nation where you could just put your hand on the Old Testament. We are a Christian nation and our presidents, when they take the oath, put their hand on the Bible. I think I had one more. Yeah, this one's kind of long, but we'll read it today anyway. This is part of the inaugural address from President Thomas Jefferson.
Speaker 1:Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Can he then be trusted with the government of others? Or have we found angels in the forms of kings to govern him? Let history answer this question. Let us then, with courage, and confidence, pursue our own federal and republican principles, enlightened by a benign religion, professed in deed and practiced in various forms, yet all of them inculcating honesty, truth, temperance, gratitude and the love of man, acknowledging and adoring an overruling providence which, by all its dispensations, proves that it delights in the happiness of man here and his greater happiness hereafter. With all these blessings, what more is necessary to make us a happy and prosperous people? Still one more thing, fellow citizens a wise and frugal government which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. You should understand what I deem the essential principles of our government equal and exact justice to all men, of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political. Their arraignment of all abuses at the bar of the public reason, freedom of reliving, freedom of the press, freedom of person under the protection of habeas corpus I'm proud by jury and partially selected.
Speaker 1:It's interesting, thomas Jefferson, right, is the darling of the left. Often they talk about how he they used his line from his letter to the Danbury pastor separation of church and state back in 1947, to really get across separation of God and state. But you see that that doesn't even make sense. You listen to this inaugural address. What's he talking about? Courage and confidence to pursue our own federal and Republican principles, enlightened by a benign religion. What religion is that? What was the overwhelming 90 plus percent religion of America at that point? Christianity. And he talks later on, right, various forms, practiced in various forms, yet all of them inculcating honesty, truth, temperance, gratitude and the love of man. Right. So you hear him talking about Christianity and providence. Right, he says that later on. Providence, acknowledging and adoring and overruling providence which, by all its dispensations, proved that its delights and happiness in man here and greater happiness hereafter. So you hear him saying that we have this responsibility to providence, this that we need to acknowledge and adore Providence, and you hear him talking about the benign religion at the time. So what's he talking about, folks? He's talking about Christianity. That was the religion of the time. And he's talking about God, the Father of Jesus Christ, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And this was his second inaugural address or no, his first, I'm sorry in 1801. Just another little bit of history, folks. Just another little bit of history. All right, let me get back into if I can find it and get squared away here myself Fox's Book of the Martyrs. Did I lose my place? I don't think I did. No, I didn't.
Speaker 1:The Ninth Persecution Under Arulian, ad 274. The principal sufferers were Felix, bishop of Rome. This prelate was advanced to the Roman sea in 274. He was the first martyr to Aurelian's Aurelian's I'm probably saying that wrong, folks, I apologize petulancy being beheaded on the 22nd of December in the same year. Agapitus, a young gentleman who sold his estate and gave the money to the poor, was seized as a Christian, tortured and then beheaded at Pranesti, a city within a day's journey of Rome. These are the only martyrs left upon record during this reign, as it was soon put a stop to by the emperor's being murdered by his own domestics at Byzantium. Aurelian was succeeded by Tacitus, who was followed by Probus, as the latter was by Charis, this emperor being killed by a thunderstorm. His sons, parneas and Numerian, succeeded him, and during all these reigns the church had peace.
Speaker 1:Dios Elysian mounted the imperial throne, ad 284. At first he showed great favor to the Christians. In the year 286, he associated Maximum with him in the emperor, and some Christians were put to death before any general persecution broke out. Among these were Felician and Primus, two brothers. Marcus and Marcellinus were twins, natives of Rome and of noble descent. Their parents were heathens, but the tutors to whom the education of the children was entrusted brought them up as Christians, their constant.
Speaker 1:So I got to stop there for a second. Folks, that's a huge, huge point. A couple of huge points, right? Um? Whoever controls? Well, the first one is just because you have money, folks, right? Nobility here. That that's not some protection against evil, and it's also not some, uh, sure sign that you are evil. Looking at a person and basing whether they have virtue or not on the amount of money they have is like looking at somebody based on their skin color and deciding whether they're a good or bad person according to their melanin count in their skin. Just because somebody has money, being poor is not a virtue and being rich is not a vice. What matters is how you act, your character. Are you following the commands of Jesus Christ? The other point here is that education folks, education, education whether you're talking about organized education or education through culture but whoever controls the education of the children controls the future, and so you can either have those children being educated toward truth and Jesus Christ or you can have them being educated toward hell and the devil and lies.
Speaker 1:But there's no middle ground. There's no possible way to find this sweet middle ground where you can just sit there and float along. Every decision we make is either right or it's wrong. Now, maybe we don't know whether it's right or wrong, maybe we're a little confused about that, but every single decision we make is either correct or it's wrong. It's either right or it's left. You're either growing closer to Christ or closer to chaos. You can either move toward the Bible or toward the bayonet, but please don't buy into the fallacy that so many do today that somehow being in this centrist. Middle ground that doesn't exist to begin with, but somehow that that's a virtue. Middle ground that doesn't exist to begin with, but somehow that that's a virtue.
Speaker 1:So, going back to these twins, their constancy at length subdued those who wished them to become pagans, and their parents and whole family became converts to a faith they had before reprobated. They were martyred by being tied to posts and having their feet pierced with nails. After remaining in this situation for a day and a night, their sufferings were put an end by the thrusting lances through their bodies. Zoe, the wife of the jailer who had the care of the before-mentioned martyrs, was also converted by them and hung upon a tree with a fire of straw lighted under her. When her body was taken down, it was thrown into a river with a large stone tied to it in order to sink it. You get the idea with these people, their real hatred for Christ, which is true today too. Right, because it's not enough, they want to mess with the bodies even after they're dead.
Speaker 1:In the year of Christ 286, a most remarkable affair occurred. A legion of soldiers consisting of 6,666 men contained none but Christians. This legion was called the Theban legion because the men had been raised in Thebius, they were quartered in the east till the emperor Maxim ordered them to march to Gaul to assist him against the rebels of Burgundy. They passed the Alps into Gaul under the command of Mauritius, candidus and Exsopernus, their worthy commanders, and at length joined. The emperor, maximum, about this time, ordered a general sacrifice at which the whole army was to assist, and likewise he commanded that they should take the oath of allegiance and swear at the same time to assist in the extirpation of Christianity in Gaul. Alarmed at these orders, each individual of the Theban legion absolutely refused either to sacrifice or take the oaths prescribed. This so greatly enraged Maximin that he ordered the legion to be decimated, that is, every tenth man to be selected from the rest and put to the sword. This bloody order having been put in execution, those who remained alive were still inflexible when a second decimation took place and every tenth man of those living were put to death. This second severity made no more impression than the first had done. The soldiers persevered their fortitude, preserved their fortitude and their principles, but by the advice of their officers, they drew up a loyal remonstrance to the emperor. This, it might have been presumed, would have softened the emperor, but it had a contrary effect, for, enraged at their perseverance and unanimity he commended the whole legion should be put to death, which was accordingly executed by the other troops, who cut them to pieces with their swords.
Speaker 1:22 September 286, albin, from whom St Albans and Hertfordshire received its name, was the first British martyr. Great Britain had received the gospel of Christ from Lucius, the first Christian king, but did not suffer from the rage of persecution for many years after. He was originally a pagan but converted by a Christian ecclesiastic named Amphibolus, whom he sheltered on account of his religion. The enemies of Amphibolus, having intelligence of the place where he was secreted, came to the house of Albin in order to facilitate his escape. When the soldiers came, he offered himself up as the person they were seeking. For the deceit being detected, the governor ordered him to be scourged and then he was sentenced to be beheaded June 22, ad 287. The venerable Bede assures us that upon this occasion, the executioner suddenly became a convert to Christianity and entreated permission to die for Albin or with him. Obtaining the latter request, they were beheaded by a soldier who voluntarily undertook the task of executioner. This happened on 22nd of June AD 287 at Verulam, now St Albans in Hertfordshire, where a magnificent church was erected to his memory. About the time of Constantine the Great, this Oedipus, being destroyed in the Saxon Wars, was rebuilt by Otha, king of Mercia, and a monastery erected adjoining to it, some remains of which are still visible, and the church is a noble Gothic structure. The church is a noble Gothic structure. Faith, a Christian female of Aquentine in France, was ordered to be broiled upon a gridiron and then beheaded, ad 287.
Speaker 1:Quentin was a Christian and a native of Rome, but determined to attempt the propagation of the gospel in Gaul. To attempt the propagation of the gospel in Gaul With one, lucian. They preached together in Amenas, after which Lucian went to Bermiris where he was martyred. Quentin remained at Picardy and was very zealous in his ministry. Being seized upon as a Christian, he was stretched with pulleys till his joints were dislocated. His body was then torn with wire, scourges and boiling oil and pitch poured on his naked flesh. Lighted torches were applied to his sides and armpits and after he had been thus tortured, he was remanded back to prison and died of the barbarities he had suffered. October 31, ad 287. His body was sunk in the Somme.
Speaker 1:God help us. Man's inhumanity to man. Are we willing, folks. Are we willing to at least stand up against the people in our own communities who decry christianity and attempt to subvert it? Faith in christ, not a particular denomination folks. If you're all rabble rrousing about being a Roman Catholic or Greek Orthodox or Reformed Baptist or whatever folks, that ain't it You're still. You have your priorities out of line. Still, if you're promoting the Pope or a particular priest or a particular pastor, again your priorities are still out of line. Pastor, again your priorities are still out of line.
Speaker 1:Cling to Christ and Him alone, not to a denomination, not to a particular person. And you see that even in Jefferson's speech, right, you can see the anger and the resentment that so many of our founders, the bitterness they had toward church and state being aligned, not God and state folks, but church and state, because you get people. You can see them today. I see them on X all the time. There's one man in particular that I really enjoyed following. I enjoyed following, but he promotes the Catholic Church at least as much as I see him promote Jesus Christ. And that just isn't it, folks. And it doesn't matter that it's the Catholic Church. Pick a different church if you want Church of Christ, methodist, baptist, greek Orthodox? It doesn't matter. Never, ever should a denomination even remotely come close to the amount that we promote Jesus Christ and his gospel, or Mary or Joseph, or the Pope, or a priest or a pastor or some evangelical superstar.
Speaker 1:Preacher, mercy Otis Warren. History of the Rise, progress and Termination of the American Revolution. I think we already read note four Almost positive yes, we did. Aha, a majority of the principal merchants of the city of London, the opulent West India proprietors who resided in England and most of the manufacturing towns through the kingdom. Accompanied with similar petitions, those offered by the Congress convened at New York, in consequence of the general aversion to the Stamp Act, the British ministry was changed in appearance through the same men who had fabricated the American system, though the same men who had fabricated the American system, though the same men who had fabricated the American system still retained their influence on the mind of the king and the councils of the nation.
Speaker 1:The parliamentary debates of the winter of 1766 evinced the important consequences expected from the decision of the question relative to an American taxation. Expected from the decision of the question relative to an American taxation Warm and spirited arguments in favor of the measure, energetic reasonings against it, with many sarcastic strokes on administration from some of the prime orators in Parliament interested the hearers of every rank and description. Finally, in order to quiet the public mind, the execution of the Stamp Act was pronounced inexpedient by a majority of the House of Commons and a bill passed for its repeal on March 18, 1766. But a clause was inserted therein holding up a parliamentary right to make laws binding on the colonies in all cases whatsoever, and a kind of condition was tacked to the repeal that compensation should be made to all who had suffered either in person or property by the late, riotous proceedings. Go back to the sentence up here. In consequence of the general aversion to the Stamp Act, the British ministry was changed in appearance, though the same men who had fabricated the American system still retained their influence.
Speaker 1:On the mind of the king and the councils of the nation Folks, peaceful coexistence with the left is absolutely impossible, or with Islam, islam. And every time that we get in a position where things seem to be, they appear to be working in the right direction, all we're really doing is the pendulum is swinging back toward the right, correct, but the center of the pendulum swing has moved to the left right, and that's why you have to understand this as soon as the left, leftism, socialism, communism, nazism, fascism right, that whole bucket of isms gets total power or Islam gets total power, they have absolutely zero desire for tolerance or peaceful coexistence. Tolerance or peaceful coexistence all of the bravo, sierra, that you see about peaceful coexistence from the left or from islam is merely a ploy to buy time to make the appearance of of, like, hey, we get it, we hear you, we understand, we want peace, want tolerance, just like in the Revolutionary War. This appearance of, oh, the Stamp Act, that was a really bad idea, we get it, we hear you. It was smoke and mirrors, folks, it was all appearance. Nothing really changed, just like nothing really changes, because the ideology of that bucket of isms I think that's what we're going to start to call it on on the podcast and islam, the ideology is by default, at its core, anti-christ and therefore evil. A short-lived joy, right, that's what it ought to be every time, or that's what it's going to be every time we think that we've made some headway with the left or with Islam. A short-lived joy was diffused throughout America, even by this delusive appearance of leniency. Hey, that also works as we're reading through Fox's Book of the Martyrs and we're going to start to get into some of the persecutions by the denominations in Europe, primarily the Roman Catholic Church right, but even the Anglican in England. You see this just kind of temporary improvement and you have this hope that something's really changed. But it hasn't.
Speaker 1:Folks, the people of every description manifested the strongest desire that harmony might be re-established between Great Britain and the colonies. Bonfires, illuminations and all the usual expressions of popular satisfaction were displayed on the joyful occasion. Displayed on the joyful occasion. Yes, amidst the demonstrations of this lively gratitude, there were some who had sagacity enough to see that the British ministry was not so much instigated by principles of equality as impelled by necessity. These deemed any relaxation in Parliament an act of justice rather than favor, and felt more resentment for the manner than obligation for the design of this partial repeal. Their opinion was fully justified by the subsequent conduct of the administration. That's a really great way, folks, to reword what I had just said. And that is when you see the left or Islam relenting. It's by necessity, not by principle, and it's to buy time, not to truly create peace and safety.
Speaker 1:When the Assembly of Massachusetts met the succeeding winter, there seemed to prevail a general disposition for peace. The sense of injury was checked and such a spirit of affection and loyalty appeared that the two houses agreed to a bill for compensation to all sufferers in the late times of confusion and riot. But they were careful not to recognize a right in Parliament to make such a requisition. The journals of the House that for the sake of internal peace, they waived all debate and controversy, though persuaded the delinquent sufferers had no just claim on the province, that, influenced by a loyal regard to His Majesty's recommendation not considering it as a requisition, and that, from a deference to the opinions of some illustrious patrons of America and the House of Commons who had urged them to a compliance, they therefore acceded to the proposal, though at the same time they considered it a very reprehensible step in those who had suffered to apply for relief to the Parliament of Britain instead of submitting to the justice and clemency of their own legislature. They made several other just and severe observations on the high-toned speech of the governor, who had said that the requisition of the ministry was found on so much justice and humanity that it could not be controverted. They inquired if the authority with which he introduced the ministerial demand precluded all disputation about complying with it. What freedom of choice they had left in the case, they said. With regard to the rest of your excellency's speech, we are constrained to observe that the general air and style of it savors much more of an act of free grace and pardon than of a parliamentary address to the two houses of assembly, and we, most sincerely with your excellency, have been pleased to reserve it, if needful for a proclamation.
Speaker 1:In the bill for compensation by the assembly of Massachusetts was added a very offensive clause. A general pardon and oblivion was granted to all offenders in the late confusion, tumults and riots. An exact detail of these proceedings was transmitted to England. The King and Council disallowed the act as compromising it in a bill of indemnity to the Boston rioters and ordered compensation made to the late sufferers without any supplementary conditions. No notice was taken of this order, nor any alteration made in the act. The money was drawn from the treasury of the province to satisfy the claimants for compensation and no further inquiries were made relative to the authors of the late tumultuary proceedings of the times, when the minds of men had been wrought up to affirm it beyond the reach of all legal restraint. I think we'll stop there. God bless y'all folks. God bless your families. God bless y'all folks. God bless your families. God bless your marriages, if you're married. God bless America. God bless your nation, wherever you are around the world listening. We'll talk to y'all again real soon, looking forward to it.