Happy Independence Day
“The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”
Who is America?
This is the beginning to the Declaration of Independence. Pretty gutsy if you ask me. Here were thirteen small colonies standing up to the British Empire. What exactly were they telling England? That all humans have certain basic rights. They have the right to live and be free from the oppression of other men, and if we see fit, we have the right to seek happiness.
Who did they say these rights came from? They didn’t come from rulers, governments, or any other man-made institution. They came from the creator of the universe Himself. Basically, they were saying that all people, regardless of race, creed, religion, or nationality, had value as humans. Imagine if you posted this on the door of any federal building today. You would be labeled an insurrectionist just like the founding fathers were.
So, what should it mean to be an American? No matter what any revisionist historian wants to write, the ideas of America and freedom were based on Judeo-Christian ideas. First and foremost, there is a God that all of us will have to answer to someday (2 Corinthians 5:10). There will be an accounting for the right and wrong that we have done with our lives, because there is a God. There is a right and wrong that exists outside of human ideas.
Second, do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Matthew 7:12). In other words, if you don’t like it being done to you, don’t do it to others. Notice that there is nothing mentioned about race or nationality. So much like Christianity, being an American is about holding onto and living by a certain set of principles. Anyone who agrees to follow these principles is welcome as an American; anyone who doesn’t, isn’t an America. Hmm, sounds awful similar to Christianity. Deep in my heart, I love the original ideas of being American. No matter what happens to this country, as long as these principles live on, America would continue to exist. America was the great melting pot that was held together by these ideas.
Dying Light
In my short life of 45 years, I have seen the gradual destruction of America. Not because of finances (with a national debt of 34 trillion), not because of the degradation of our military (even though military recruitment is at one of its lowest points in history), and not because of our loss of rights (cough cough COVID 19, J6, the rich getting off while the poor go to jail, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera). These things will all eventually catch up to us and send the American empire into oblivion. However, it is my belief that what we know as America is already gone.
No longer do we hold the principles in our heart that there is an absolute right and wrong determined by God. No longer do we respect the dignity of others or treat others as we would want to be treated. Because of this, right and wrong is now like the new flavor of the month: the right for kids to choose to be male or female, the need to pay everyone back for past harms and punish the evil doers (before most of us were born), the need to protect mother earth from cow farts and evil meat eaters, the need to force everyone to follow arbitrary rules because an “expert” said that’s what we should do, regardless of the harm to our fellow man.
No longer do we look out for our fellow Americans and do what is best for all. Instead, we fight and bicker, because we must win at all costs or have our ideas destroyed by the other side. This isn’t what is coming. This is what is happening now. The principles of being American and what it is to be an American are dead.
A New Revolution
So when the wheels finally come off of the “American bus,” what are you going to do? For many, when there are no rules to constrain them, they will revert back to their animal instincts and try to survive at all costs – beg, borrow, and steal. For others, they will simply go quietly into the night like sheep to slaughter. However, for others, there is a calling. A calling that says what God says is right is right, and what’s wrong is wrong. We should treat each other with decency and respect, but when this cannot be done, evil should be removed from the earth. This is the same calling that David had when he fought Goliath for cursing God and trying to enslave his people (1 Samuel 17:26). This is the same calling that Gideon heard when he was threshing wheat in secret, and God called him to free his people (Judges 6:11-12). Finally, this is the same calling that many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence felt when that put their names on the line and stood up to evil . . . regardless of the cost.
Conclusion
So in conclusion, I challenge you to put your name on the line. Make a commitment that no matter what happens to this country, you will continue to follow the principles of Christianity. You will love God with all your heart, mind, and strength, you will love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:33), and when you find evil, you will stand against it in whatever manner the Holy Spirit leads you.
– Written by Jeremiah
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