The Case for Continued Freedom

Message from Rose

October 18,2024

Years ago, right before an important election, I heard someone quote King Solomon, who noted that government is run by sinners and therefore will always be corrupt. Just look for moral character this person said. The problems is – there are times when moral character may be lacking in both candidates. So what then? Then we look for leaders who, at the very least, will toe the line for freedom.

I understand that King Solomon saw the corruption in leaders and in government and wanted to warn that we should not be surprised by this.  But some might argue that if government is corrupt – and if it has always been corrupt – we should just get used to it. Bad argument!

What Solomon said of government is true. Of course it is. Governments have been corrupt since the beginning of time. 

But here is where there is an opportunity for a teachable moment;  because government is corrupt – limiting government is the point of our elections and every election since February 4, 1789, when George Washington was unanimously chosen as the first president of the United States. 

More government means more corruption. What should be noted is that we have two parties; One believes in less government and therefore less corruption. The other party argues for more government and therefore more corruption. 

When we consider the issues facing America today, we need the moral courage to speak the truth and bear the consequences.

This country was founded on the idea that man was created, by God, to be free. And the only way to establish and maintain that freedom was to reduce the size of government. In the founder’s case  it was a king, an oppressive, imposing, freedom restricting, king. And by the way, the most oppressive aspect of living under tyrannical rule, for them, was the inability to worship freely. It was either the king’s way or no way. And if you spoke out against the king – well  -- you would be appropriately punished. 

So, Solomon was right – but those who came to this country to establish a life away from oppressive government (read corrupt) were people whose mission was liberty. They left a culture in Europe that believed that creativity resided within one’s station in life. The founders, however, believed there was genius in every human being. And the best way to explore and cultivate that genius was liberty. 

Tyrannical governments and dictatorships out of socialism, have brought nothing to enhance the human condition. Only we, who love freedom have raised the baseline of human existence beyond anything ever conceived before.

This experiment of freedom has lasted almost 250 years. But it lasted that long only because of true and courageous leaders. It’s always been about men and women who have taken a stand for freedom, encouraged freedom, and gave their lives for freedom. 

Leading up to the final effort to separate from England– those who believed in the cause of freedom (the separation from what Solomon called corrupt government) were not just the colonists but the pastors of that time. Especially the pastors. 

In those years leading up to independence - clergy argued that a separation from Britain – from a corrupt king was approved by God. 

Preacher Abraham Keteltas in one of his sermons, celebrated the American effort as "the cause of truth, against error and falsehood

 . . .the cause of pure and undefiled religion, against bigotry, superstition, and human invention . . .in short, he said; it is the cause of heaven against hell --of the kind parent of the universe against the prince of darkness, and the destroyer of the human race."

Wow. That is one heck of a case for freedom. And the pastors of that time were not afraid to make the case.  It can only be made by the most “morally courageous” among us. And so yes, we need morally courageous men and women – and pastors. Not milk toast leaders 

All of us must be unafraid to, at the very least, talk about the issues that are important – because they are. And they are biblical.  I would rather someone were completely cold on the subject than lukewarm. It wasn’t a lukewarm effort that brought about a declaration of independence from a corrupt government. 

This is the closest humans have come – closer than any other country – from decreasing the corruption of government by establishing those truth’s that were 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.

Oh and by the way - it wasn’t a lukewarm effort to draft the most radical document of all time – our constitution. Given that it has been long recognized that our U.S. Constitution is the greatest document ever conceived. Did you ever wonder why no other country has adopted a constitution like ours? It is because no other government wants to give up that much power to the people. The only reason we have a constitution in the first place is that there was no bureaucracy here to oppose it. (Less government)

We are facing a time of struggle for that power. There are those who want to restrict our power, our freedom – even globally when we consider the “great reset”.  In the end, will it still be “of the people, by the people, and for the people”? Or will it be handed over entirely to the government, or even worse, elitists globally?

In his Gettysburg address Abraham Lincoln made what is believed to be one the greatest statements regarding  America’s national purpose. And he began that statement by referring to the signing of the Declaration of Independence;  “four score and seven years ago” a nation “conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” He then addressed the end of the civil war and honored those who perished defending those principles. He said that;  “these dead shall not have died in vain- that this nation, under god, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.

Yes, King Solomon was a wise man. But so too where those who were influenced greatly by God and who sought a solution to the human condition - a solution to  “corrupt governments”. 

Our government today is corrupt, and we hang on to our Republic by a thread.  But we should be ever striving to return, as Lincoln said, to that “new birth of freedom”, and a government that takes second place to the people. 
Our liberty from corrupt government was secured almost 250 years ago. It was crafted for us by men who pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to the cause. The founders were not lukewarm in their quest for a free country. Nor should we be.

 And by the way – there are many pastors in this country who are unafraid to be honest with their congregations about what really is at stake right now in this country. To all of those courageous pastors, I say, thank you for your moral courage. 

Be sure to look for my interview with Pastor Nathan Miller – one of those courageous pastors. The podcast interview will be posted on all platforms Monday, October 21st at 1:20 pm.  I will also have one the following week with Pastor Jack Hibbs. Both will be addressing the upcoming presidential election.