The Christian Answer

A VISION FOR AMERICA

by Bill McCarthy, MSA

America today is met in a great civil war testing whether this nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. The battle lines have been formed between those Americans who believe that we are a nation under God who gives us certain inalienable rights including life and a deep respect for human dignity, traditional marriage and the religious formation of our children. On the right you have Americans who uphold traditional values. On the left you have secular humanists who dominate our media, our movies and one of our political parties. The divide is fierce. It splits not only the climate of our culture, but our political, medical, legal and educational systems. It also splits families, marriages and hearts. Neither the democrats nor republicans are addressing the basic issues that are affecting our nation.

In God We Still Trust

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WE ARE NO LONGER A NATION UNDER GOD

The first and most essential problem in America is that we are no longer politically, educationally and culturally a nation under God. Our 243 Founding Fathers were all professing Christians and in 1781 the Highest Court of the land stated that Christianity was the official religion of America. The first 208 colleges of this land were all Christian schools. Patrick Henry stated, “It cannot be emphasized too often nor too strongly that this nation was founded by Christians….and upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” George Washington stated, “That the Bible and the 10 Commandments were the foundation of our Republic.” Blackstone’s commentary on the law read like the Bible, and our Supreme Court in 1892 intimated that the laws and the institutions of this nation must necessarily be based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The Bible and the New England Primer were the official text books of each school. Our very Constitution read that, “Each state must maintain a Republican form of government.” Noah Webster explained, “Our citizens should clearly understand that the correct source of Republican principles is God, the 10 Commandments and the Bible.” He also stated that “…it is the obligation of all Americans to put Godly men into political office,” and prophesized the dire consequences of a lack of attention to this basic principle. I have written of this extensively in my book, “God Bless America – God’s Vision or Ours.” Even religious freedom which grants the right for every American citizen to practice the religion of their choice was introduced in this country because of Christian principles that stated, “That Christianity must be proposed but never imposed.” The backdrop of our legal, political and educational systems was Judeo-Christian principles. We had prayer in every public school and at every graduation, and every American child was taught to respect the 10 Commandments.

WE HAVE DENIED THE INALIENABLE RIGHT TO LIFE

Our Founding Fathers realized that the right to life was given by God Himself. This dignity was so ingrained in the mind set of most Americans that it was considered self-evident and unchangeable. In other words this dignity could not be subverted, denied or taken away by any force; certainly not by the people, not even by the Supreme Court or by the President himself. American was not only pro-God, it was pro-life. In fact during World War II we fought against those atheistic systems that did not uphold the sanctity of human life; namely, Nazism, fascism and Japanese paganism. We would go on to fight blatant communism. The result of these four systems would destroy over 250 million innocent lives. Today in America 400 million American citizens have been murdered in the womb.

WE NO LONGER HAVE ORDERED FREEDOM

In 1997 the Supreme Court proposed a sweeping re-definition of liberty when it stated, “At the heart of liberty is the right to define one’s own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe and of the mystery of human life.” Forty prominent religious leaders signed a protest document stating that, “The doctrine declared by the Court would seem to mean that liberty is nothing more or less than what is chosen by the economists, unencumbered self. This is the very antithesis of the ordered liberty affirmed by the founders. Liberty in this debased sense is utterly disengaged from the concept of responsibility and community and is pitted against ‘the laws of nature and of nature’s God.’ Such liberty degenerates into license and throws into question the very possibility of the rule of law itself.” As a result, many politicians, lawyers and educators no longer make the distinction between liberty and license. What is worse, many of our youngsters are being taught that there is no difference.

WE NO LONGER UPHOLD THE TRADITIONAL FAMILY

As a nation we always believed that marriage was between one man and one woman freely entered into for mutual love and affection for the procreation and affection of children. Our laws reflected our belief that we were to respect marriage, womanhood and sexuality. We need people in political office who will fight for the preservation of strong, traditional and loving families.

WE HAVE LOST A SENSE OF COMMON DECENCY

Not only was pornography outlawed in this land, but vulgarity in the public forum was outlawed as well. Indecent public exposure was illegal. Pornography has become mainstream in America and little or nothing is done by our courts to stop it. Once again we need candidates for public office who will fight for our children in this most vital area.

WE NO LONGER HAVE GOD-CENTERED EDUCATION

According to our Founding Fathers, the Bible and the New England Primer were the official text books throughout the land. All education in America was God-centered. The first colleges in our country were all Christians. Nevertheless in 1963 just five members of our Supreme Court forbade Bible reading, the 10 Commandments and prayer from 40 million American citizens. Despite the fact that our Constitution clearly states that Congress should make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion. The result is a unashamed, pagan public school educational system which in most big cities has degenerated into moral melt-down. Vouchers, which would support parochial and home-schooled children, would go a long way in correcting this imbalance.

WE NO LONGER HAVE A GODLY PUBLIC FORUM

The media, including movies, television, newspapers and magazines, presented the basic Judeo-Christian decency to the American public. Today, however, most of the media is anti-God, anti-Christian, anti-decency and anti-life. The media has lost its credibility because of its all-too-liberal leaning.

WE NO LONGER PROMOTE GODLY RULERS

As a people we are taught to respect civil authority and to pray for our leaders. Noah Webster stated, “When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public officers, let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose ‘just men who will rule in the fear of God.’ The preservation of our government depends on the faithful discharge of this duty. If the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted, laws will be made, not for the public good, so much for the selfish or local purposes, corrupt or incompetent men will be appointed to execute the laws, the public revenues will be squandered on unworthy men, and the rights of citizens will be violated or disregarded.” This is almost a prophecy of what is happening in our times. We have people running for the presidency of the United States who support abortion on demand, blatant pagan public school education, alternative life-styles and homosexual unions. In the past the moral outcry of America would have been strong. The fact that it is not is a sign of our moral decline.

A NOTE OF HOPE

God has promised, “If My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray and seek My Face, I will hear from Heaven and I will heal their nation and restore their land.” We Americans at heart are a Godly people. If we had followed the injunction given to Moses, Joshua and all the prophets, I hold before you two standards. If you obey My principles and obey My laws, you will prosper. If you do not, you will go into decline and be oppressed by nations who will be My instruments of chastisement. Yes, today, we are met a great civil war testing our nation. The real issues are not the economy, the war, social security, etc. The real issues that we are called to be a nation under God that supports the inalienable right to life; that we are a religious people, a people of integrity with strong family values and a deep love for the decency of our youth.

I hold before all of our citizens our national motto, “In God We Trust,” and I urge them to sing our National Anthem with renewed fervor. Listen to the second verse:

“Blessed with victory and peace, may this Heaven-rescued land

Praise the God who has made and preserved us a nation, then

Conquer we must when our cause it is just, and this is our motto

In God be our trust. And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

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We Want America Back

The Steeles

Jerry's 9/11 "We The People" Speech

Weekly Stories

Allow me a moment to just stand and look at you. You know, you’re a good looking bunch of people.

And just who are we here tonight? We’re the common man, the common woman, the common child. It was Abraham Lincoln who said, “God must surely love the common man. Why?” He said, “Because look how many of us he has made".And look at us! Look at us! Now, some would try to tell us, and some have tried very hard to convince us, that the common man is, somehow, inferior or secondhand, or inadequate, but that's not what the word "common” means at all. Webster's dictionary tells us that when it comes to mankind, “common” is “the general public, the standard, the masses, belonging to everybody". And just what was our founding fathers definition of the common man? We the people -- we the people. And that is who is here tonight – “We the People”.

But our great problem today in America, our great dilemma, is that some in America today believe that they are, somehow, better than us, that they, somehow, know better than us, that they are smarter than us, bigger than us, more able than us, and they want us to stay in some place, some silent place, while they have their way with us and our America.

But I'm here tonight to say, “no more, no more standing by to let someone else set the tone, no more standing by to let someone else set our standard, no more standing by as they take us away from what so many before us have given,

their fortunes,

their reputations,

their very lives – and I say “no more.”

And just what is it that we want? What do “We the People" want? It's actually quite simple. We want to get back to an America of common people, using common sense, to work together for a common goal,to stand on a common ground, and work to get our country back where it belongs – out of the hands of the few and into the hands of the common people – We the People.

Now, some will try, some are trying to characterize us as some sort of fanatical mob looking to make trouble. But here's the truth -- the trouble is already here in America – we’re already in trouble. And what is our part in this trouble? We have sat idly by and let it happen. Regretfully, we have allowed our nation to be turned away from the simple, powerful ideals America was built upon, the ideals of truth and justice and law and fairness and self responsibility and independence and freedom and moral values; we have turned away from these ideals. And most important, we have allowed our nation to push away our single greatest ally -- as a nation we have pushed away Almighty God. And I want Him back!

I was talking with one man the other day and he said to me, “God was not part of the original founding of our United States", he said, “God isn't mentioned once in our U.S. Constitution". I said, “That is so true, but did you know that our founding fathers prayed before each session of that Constitutional Congress, asking God, no begging God to help them - and He did!”

And the reason we are in such bad trouble as a nation today is that God has been pushed out, and without God we will fail. I thank Him that He has not deserted us the way we have deserted him. And I want Him back -- I want our nation to follow just what our currency says – “In God We Trust”

Now, back to this claim that we are fanatics about our cause. I say, “We’d better be".You Know, when we call someone a sports fan it’s supposed to be like a good thing –“He’s a great fan”

But did you know that this word “fan" comes from the word “fanatic"? That’s right – a fan is a fanatic. So, let's see, we can be a fan of sports,

we can be a fan of movies,

we can be a fan of music,

we can even be a fanatic.

But we can’t be a fan, a fanatic, for the cause to save our own nation?

That's what's gotten us into this whole mess.

We quit being a fan of our America.

“We the People" took our hands off the wheel, we've let someone else drive the train, we've let someone else steer the ship, and our nation is heading for the cliff, we’re steering right for the falls, and it's almost over. But just how did we get here? How did we get into this horrible mess? It's an ugly word – “apathy". Now, I know that we all know this word “apathy", but do you know what it really means? Follow this -- the root word in “apathy" is “path". And when you have a path, you have a direction, you are going somewhere. But put the letter “a" in front of any root word and it now means “lack of, null, void, no". So, apathy doesn't mean you're going down a wrong or different path – apathy means you have no path at all. You are so disinterested, so into yourself - that you don't care to even have a path. It's a horrible, disgusting word. And what makes it so disgusting is that it lays the blame of our problems of our America where? Not in the hands of our politicians and leaders, where we want to lay the blame,

it lays the blame on us, “We the people".

That pill is very hard to swallow - when we want the blame to fall on someone else – but instead it falls on us. Makes me think of another word, another ugly word, with that same root word “path" – it’s the word “pathetic” -- and when we are ruled by apathy we are pathetic. So, let someone say when it comes to my nation, America, when it comes to our future, when it comes to our nation, when it comes to our children, when it comes to our grandchildren – Let them say that I am a fanatic – I’d better be. Say it, “I'm a fan of America. I'm a fan of my America”. I will not apologize for being a fan of America. Wow, I'm glad I got that off my chest. So, we are here tonight, ready to act, ready to move, ready to take back this great nation – but talk is cheap – so what do we do? In 1917, Martin Treptow lived in Cherokee, Iowa. He was a barber, a common man. In that year 1917, our United States was drawn into a horrible war, World War I and Martin Treptow enlisted. He was a young man with his whole life in front of him, but he signed up to fight.

In December of that year, 1917, Private Treptow and his regiment landed in France. He was a member of the famous “Rainbow Division”. His job was to carry important messages between battalions on the frontline -- it was very dangerous -- but Martin took on the job.

The men in Martin's regiment noticed something about Martin – he carried a small notebook, a diary in his inside pocket. He never talked about his writings but he was always noting in his diary.

Martin Treptow was a good soldier, he did his job well, and on July 29, 1918, while carrying a crucial message between battalions under heavy artillery fire, Martin Treptow, a common man, an Iowa Barber, Private Martin Treptow was killed in battle. And when Martin's dead body was found on the battlefield, as they searched through his pockets to find that message he was delivering -- instead they found his diary, and in that diary there was a message -- a message to be delivered to all of us here tonight.

At the top of the front page of his diary, it was titled “My Pledge", and under it, these simple, common, powerful words:

“America must win this war. Therefore I will work, I will save, I will sacrifice, I will endure, I will fight cheerfully, and do my utmost, as if the issue of the whole struggle depended on me alone.”

Martin Treptow was willing to carry, he did carry, the whole weight of that war on his shoulders.

Why? Because he was a fan of America.

So just what must we do? That’s it -- we must do. You see, you are what you do, not what you think – not what you say. What you think, what you say, means nothing toward a solution – the solution is what you do!

How do we get America back on the right path? We stand up and we act.

Now, notice I didn't say we react - We act.

You must stand up, but before you do, you must find out what you believe to be worth standing up for.

And don't just follow the crowd. Sit down with yourself, sit down with your family, your children, your friends, make a list of those values and ideals worth fighting for. Write them, specifically, settle what you know to be good and right -- and do it!

Next, realize that there are those in this world who want to see America fail as a nation. We must understand we have enemies anxious to take us down. They are angry and hateful and determined to destroy us.Today as we remember and honor those who tragically died on 9/11, let us also remember what really happened that day – some have tried to make us forget it was our airplanes that were turned into deadly missiles; it was our buildings that were blown up and knocked down; it was thousands of our innocent men, women, and children who died.

It was President John Kennedy who said, “Let every nation know whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty."

So, tonight here’s the question:If tonight you were to die on the battlefield and someone reached for your diary, opened up that front page marked “My Pledge”, what would it say? What would it say? Would it be blank, with no path, no direction? What would it say?

Mine would say this:

“God help me to be a fan –

a fan of truth –

a fan of God –

a fan of America".

In closing, allow me this one personal note -- I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kindness to me these last 24 years in Whatcom County. Tomorrow I'm leaving to go back to my home town, Fort Worth, Texas.

Am I through here? Absolutely Not! I will be working with my national syndications company in Texas and, God willing, I plan on continuing my own small part of the battle for our great nation right here in Whatcom Country and in Washington.

But know this - I will miss your words, I will miss your encouragement to me, I will miss your spirit to fight. I love you all.

May God bless America – may God bless our troops -- may God bless you!