by Steve Hale
"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan" ( Proverbs 29:2, NKJV).
The 56 brave souls that signed the Declaration of Independence made the following declaration in the Preamble:
"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 entitles them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to separations."
In our brief space, focus on just eight words: "...the laws of nature and of nature's God." What did the signers mean by this? Were they merely deists? Were they generically encompassing the ideas of Islam and mysticism?
The standard authority of their day for law was Blackstone's Cominentaries On The Law. He was commonly quoted as the final authority in cases at all levels of our judiciary' from 1766 to 1920. Blackstone said "...as man depends absolutely upon his maker for everything, it is necessary that he should in all points conform to his maker's will. This will of his maker is called the law of nature" (Vol. I, pp; 39-41). So is God's will for man, Blackstone said, was the law of nature.
But how about the second part? Blackstone comnented that if our reason was clear and perfect things would be well and good. But, since it wasn't we needed additional guidance along with "the law of nature.
Blackstone defined "the laws of nature's God" this way: "This has given manifold occasion for the benign interposition of divine providence, which...hath beel! pleased, at sundry times and in diverse manners, to discover and enforce its laws by an immediate and direc
revelation. The doctrines thus delivered we call the revealed or divine law, and they are to be found only in the holy scriptures" (Vol. I, pp. 41-42).
Finally, Blackstone concludes with this: "Upon " these foundations, the law of nature and the law o( revelation (the law of nature's God), depend all human laws; that is to say, no human laws should be suffered to contradict these" (Vol. I, p. 42).
"...the laws of nature and of nature's God" is a legal phrase which says the intent of our Founders was ro; honor God and follow the Bible. Yet, in our public schools, this very God can no longer be addressed in prayer, nor read about from the Bible. More next week...
The above article appeared in the Mt. Juliet Messenger on March 30, 1997.
by Steve Hale
"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan" ( Proverbs 29:2, NKJV).
Knowing then, that the signers. of the Declaration of Independence intended for us to honor God and the Bible in our public schools and government, what has
happened to change our society's direction?
This is perhaps best documented from the life of Colonel Robert Ingersoll. Ingersoll promoted two strategies to remove God and the Bible from the public arena: 1. Compartmentalization; 2. Ignoring a Candidate's Private Life.
Compartmentalization was the effort to get the church merely within her four walls. It was the ultimate "separation of church and state" sales pitch. It taught that freedom dictated not ollly the freedom of religion, but the freedom from religion. This was never the intent of the Signers!
"...the laws of 'nature and of nature's,' God" is wholly adequate to rebut this idea. Blackstone concluded: "Upon these foundations,the law of nature and the law of revelation (the law of nature's God), depend all human laws; that is to say, no human law should be suffered to contradict these" (Vol. I, p. 42).
This means that the signers intended for American Civil Law to reflect and demOgstrate an adherence can biblical law ("the law of nature's God") . Ingersoll all other secular humanists have successfully convinced American society that Ameriffln Civil Law should separate from 'God's law.
Also, Ingersoll promoted the doctrine of ignoring a candidate's private life. The Signers and Founders never intended this. In The Histoiy of The United States by Noah Webster, it was emphasized to examine a candidate's private life. Note the book's example of Benedict Arnold.
Arnold's public life seemed exemplary. He was a war hero at the Battle of Saratoga. Yet, his private life demonstrated utter treason, as revealed in the treasonous plans captured from Major Andre's boot. The textbook concludes which more properly demonstrates Arnold's true character: his private life (treason) or his public life (exemplary)?
Often, a candidate's public life is a ruse, and mos of his official business is in private, not public. Therefore, Webster concluded, one must consider most carefully a candidate's private life.
America needs' God! We must not fall prey to compartmentalization or ignoring a candidate's private life. More next week...
The above article appeared in the Mt. Juliet Messenger on April 6, 1997.
by Steve Hale
"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan" ( Proverbs 29:2, NKJV).
In Chicago last week, a 'thirteen year old AfricanAme;ican boy wandered from his neighborhood into a predominantly white neighborhood. Caught
playing on a playground across the railroad tracks "from where he belonged," he was beaten nearly to death by three older caucasians.
In nearby Donelson, employees at a Captain D's were brutally killed by intruders. Even closer to home, three employees at a Hermitage McDonald's were brutally slain just two weeks ago in a similar crime. One of those was a graduate from Mr. Juliet High School.
We are becoming a wild and reckless society, making the old Wild West look tame. No personal restraints or morals are goyeming us. Anything goes.
This is a far cry from how our country began, and the intend of the founding fathers. The Preamble to the Declaration called us to be ruled by "...the laws of nature and of nature's God." As we haveseen, this was a clarion -all to submit to God'B morals, and his reavealed will as found in the Scriptures.
In 1962, in Engel vs. Vitale, the United States Supreme Court ruled that prayer was unconstitutional in public schools. The court could site no legal or moral precedents. It could site no constitutional precedent. All it could do was pull out of context a phrase Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptist Association in 1801: "...separation of church and state."
Jefferson never intended this be used as the lever that would pull prayer and the Bible from public schools. In fact, while President, he also served as President of Washington D.C. schools. As its President, Jefferson required two books to be read in the schools: (1) The Bible; (2) Watt's Hymnal. Even Watt's Hymnal was full of doctrine.
In Abington vs. Schempf in 1963, the Supreme Court pulled the reading of the Bible out of public schools. Again, the court did not site one single legal or historic precedent. One psychologist was quoted as saying that.
the reading of the Bible might cause some psychological damage!
Since the Bible and prayer have been removed from the schools, crime has exploded in America. The; hearts of young people are no longer taught the Golden Rule, the love of God, or the timeless morals of the Ten Commandments. Until they are reinstituded, the current moral decline very sadly, continue. More next week...
The above article appeared in the Mt. Juliet Messenger on April 13, 1997
by Steve Hale
"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan" ( Proverbs 29:2, NKJV).
Can anyone tell me the motto of some of our various wars? The Texas War for Independence had the theme: "Remember the Alamo." World War II had the
theme: "Remember Pearl Harbor." Did you know that the American Revolutionary War had a theme as well?
The Colonists were, until they declared their independence, British citizens. Their anger was centered around King George III, for his severe taxation and religious domination. Therefore, the Americans wanted a motto that would not only say what they were for, but who they were against.
So, in the midst of battle, all along, the countryside, the motto was declared: "No King but King Jesus!" This declared who they were against (King George III), and who they were for (the Lord Jesus Christ)! Yet,
historical revisionists still try to convince us that Christianity and religious freedom were not at the center of the fight for American Liberty.
This was so well known in its day, that even the British got the message! One British governor, in writing and complaining to his government wrote: "If you an American who his master is, he'll tell you he has none. And he has no governor but Jesus Christ" (Hezekiah Niles, Principals and Acts of the Revolution in America, (Baltimore: William Ogden Niles, 1822), p. 418).
How is it, that the British, the world's greatest power of this era and the enemy of the American Revolution, knew the driving force of the American revolt and yet history books are now devoid of it? In fact, so vital was this thirst for religious freedom, that in the midst of fighting the world's greatest power, Congress addressed a national problem: a shortage of Bibles!
Great Britain had been our chief trading partner, yet because of this reversal, our country could not find enough Bibles to import. Congress decided: "That the use of the Bible is so universal, and its importance so great...that Congress will order the committee of commerce to import-20,000 Bibles from Holland, Scotland, or elsewhere, into the different parts of the states of the Union" (Journals, supra note 22 at Vol. II, p. 262, Thursday, September 11, 1777).
"Normal times" for America were from the' Revolution to about 1962. For the last 35 years, we have had "abnormal times." Why have we so drifred and removed God from, government? More next week...
The above article appeared in the Mt. Juliet Messenger on April 20, 1997.
by Steve Hale
"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan" ( Proverbs 29:2, NKJV).
For FO years, Jhe Founders made clear their intent of "the separation of church and state." This phrase does not even appear in the First Amendment, which simply says: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
The Founders did not want a national denomination, like the Church of England. The First Amendment prohibited Congress from requiring everyone to become a Catholic, all Anglican, or any other denomination. They wanted to maintain Christian principles in governmept; without specifying that everyone must become a member of any one sect. For 170 consecutive years, everyone understood this.
However on June 25, 1962, in. Engel vs. Vitale, suddenly, without, historical or legal precedent, the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed prayer in public scHools. Just one year later, on June 17, 1963"in Murray vs. Curlett and Abington vs. Schempp, tfie court outlawed reading the Bible in public schools. Again, no historical or legal precedent was given. The court did cite one psychologicalist that said Bible reading might psychologically damage a child! How could the court so quickly and flippantly reverse nearly 200 years of previous Supreme Court rulings?
The only Justice to oppose the removal of Bible reading and prayer from the public schools was Potter Stewart. He was an experienced judge with considerable federal Constitutional experience. He was the only member of the court with such experience, and the only judge that did not act like a politician! Justice Stewart was willing to uphold previous precedents, both historical and legal, while the others embraced a brazen policy of humanism.
Amazingly, just ten years later, in Zorach vs. Clauson, the court showed its inconsistency by ruling "The First Amendment, however does not say that in every and all respects there shall be a separation of Church an State...Otherwise, the state and religion would be aliens each other--hostile, suspicious, and even unfriendly (Zorach vs. Clauson, 343 U.S. 306, 312 (1952).
Our country began with a deep respect for "th laws of nature and of nature's God:" For 170 consecutive years, it was held, as constitutional to read the Bible to our young people in public schools, and pray to the Almighty. We'll look at the last 35 years next week...
The above article appeared in the Mt. Juliet Messenger on April 27, 1997.
by Steve Hale
"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan" ( Proverbs 29:2, NKJV).
These are abnormal times. For over 170 consecutive years, the United States Supreme Court held as constitutional prayer in public schools, and the reading of the Bible there. In these abnormal 35 years that have followed, what have been the results of this policy?
The results have been absolutely catastrophic! USA Today September 1985, examines the top school problems before the removal of prayer and the Bible from public schools, and after. Here are the results:
Before
1. Talking
2. Chewing gum
3. Making noise
4. Running in the halls
5. Getting out of turn in line
6. Wearing improper clothing
7. Not Putting paper in wastebasket
After
1. Rape
2. Robbery
3. Assault
4. Burglary
5. Arson
6. Bombings
7. Murder
8. Suicide
9. Absenteeism
10. Vandalism
11. Extortion
12. Drug Abuse
13. Alcohol Abuse
14. Gang Warfare
15. Pregnancies
16. Abortions
17. Veneral Disease
David Barton, in his excellent book America To Pray Or Not To Pray? chronicles this literal explosion of sin, vice, sexual promiscuity, and violence. Youth crime and violence were so low, that the U.S. Justice Department did not even keep statistics on this until 1965...just three years after Engel vs. Vitale.
Whenever a national problem begins to emerge, it becomes chronicled in the U.S. Justice Departments Statistical Abstract. These are now so numerous and so graphic, they are almost numbing. Keep in mind that each one involves multitudes of shattered lives.
Child abuse is up 345% (since 1976); corruption of public officials up nearly 500% (since 1973); illegal drug abuse is up 1,375% (between 1962 and 1982 sexual abuse of children is up nearly 400% (since 1976) And there is so much more. America, we need God!