When Good Men Do Nothing
By Judson Cox (08/16/03)
A politically incorrect statement: Individual, human, and women's rights, and freedoms are unique to Western culture, personified in America. People oppressed in their native countries due to race or social caste, who are limited by lack of opportunity, come to America. Here, they are granted equality and freedom.
They are given the opportunity to prosper, and in so doing, make America the most wealthy and powerful nation on earth. It was not the natural resources of America that made her great, nor her military strength, nor her position for trade. It was not our technological knowledge, science, arts or philosophy; Europe, and Asia, were superior. Diversity does not make us great. It is freedom, opportunity and equality - values enshrined in our founding documents.
Our Founding Fathers were schooled in the disciplines of Western culture. Above all arts, their reliance was on Biblical principals in codifying our nation's values. In America, law is guided by the ideal that all men are created by God, and should be treated equally. Our Declaration Of Independence says, "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..." This ideal was not immediately put into practice, but as America grew out of European mindsets, equality was extended. Indians were granted the rights and protections of citizens (this took too long, but racism was not one sided as many of my Cherokee relatives can attest). Slavery was abolished. England was first to abolish slavery, but America was the only nation to fight a Civil War, sacrificing white American lives to do so. Women were enfranchised. This was a long process. However, it was done, which is more than can be said for nearly every other nation on earth! Slavery is still being practiced and women regarded as property in most Muslim countries. Racism is commonplace throughout Europe (both Eastern and Western), Asia, South America and Mexico. Like it or not, America is unique.
America is the freest nation on earth, due to Judeo-Christian values; but, are not injunctions against murder, rape and theft universal? The sad answer is, no. In most nations, it matters who you murder, rape or steal from. Was it a fellow Muslim, another tribe in Africa, or a peasant in Mexico and parts south. Was the miscreant a member of the upper class or a government official? In most of the world, these questions matter a great deal. Royalty, and government officials, do as they please. In Communist "people's republics" and Socialist "workers paradises," jail, torture and death are punishments for criticizing the government, trading illegally, or attending church. European nations, do not share our rights to free expression. In France, Brigitte Bardot was charged with hate crimes when she criticized homosexuals and Muslims. American laws and freedoms descend from British law, but in America they find their full flowering, free of monarchical, racist and classist trappings.
Recent events are troubling:
Due to Biblical condemnations of abortion and homosexuality, democrat Senators claim devout Catholics and Protestants are unfit. John Kerry criticized the Pope for saying that marriage is a sacrament entered only by a man and woman. Kerry based his comments on the separation of Church and State. Those words do not appear in the Constitution. The First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The democrats are practicing anti-Christian bigotry. They are establishing a religious test, which is Constitutionally illegal. Article 6, Clause 3: The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.
The Supreme Court struck down anti-sodomy laws, trampling on Constitutional provision: Article 10, The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. This sets the stage for gay marriage. The majority of Americans are Christian and disapprove of gay marriage. Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.-Lev 19:22 Homosexuals, less than 3% of our population, seek to force acceptance on the majority by fiat. Will we be like France? Will we outlaw belief in the Bible as the infallible Word of God or the Pope as His infallible representative? What other perversions will we codify... bigamy, incest, pedaphillia? Such movements are already afoot within the legal and psychological communities.
The Episcopal Church appointed an openly gay priest as Bishop. This man, acknowledges his sexual activities are in opposition to scripture and Church doctrine. The Bible condemns homosexuality, and forbids priests to divorce, or have extra-marital sex. Yet, the Episcopal Church approved him. His supporters say that views on homosexuality have changed.
The relativist view taken by the Episcopal Church would justify any culturally approved activity as God's will. By their standard, before the Civil War, slavery was fine. In Muslim nations, it is perfectly acceptable to beat and maim women. In Africa, raping children is an acceptable practice and a good cure for AIDS. Throughout the Middle East, killing Jews is a great past time, because the majority endorses it.
Our nation was made great and powerful, because we adhered to the principles of the Word of God. If we continue down this path of hedonistic relativism, we will lose that which made us great.
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