Brushfires of Freedom ~ Religious Liberty

America is a melting pot of nationalities, backgrounds, and ideas, but all of the settlers in the New World had one thing in common: a search for religious freedom.  The fight for liberty of conscience has been momentous in the history of America and the world; but our nation has strayed from its original foundation on religious freedom.  Still, as a world power, the United States has the potential to play a significant role in the international advancement of religious freedom.  My generation needs a plan to restore and protect religious liberty, at home and abroad. Section one of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 reads, “The right to freedom of religion undergirds the very origin and existence of the United States.  Many of our Nation’s founders fled religious persecution abroad, cherishing in their hearts and minds the ideal of religious freedom. … the United States has prized this legacy of religious freedom and honored this heritage by standing for religious freedom and offering refuge to those suffering religious persecution.”

In 1522, a poor monk nailed a document to the door of the Roman Catholic Church in Wittenburg, Germany.  Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses exposed fallacies in the philosophy of the church and advocated reform; people began to protest the strict rituals of Catholicism.  This Protestant reformation spread from Germany into other countries throughout Europe, reaching England in 1529.  The Anglican Church vacillated for nearly a century between Protestant sympathies and the strict doctrine of the Catholic Church; this period of unrest culminated in the birth of the Puritan movement.  The Puritans were reformers who desired liberty from the overbearing Anglican Church.  These seekers of religious liberty finally received it when they migrated to the New World and founded the colony of Massachusetts. 

There was only one problem.  Free as the first settlers were from the religious oppression they had suffered in Europe, they inadvertently recreated it by defaulting to establishmentarianism themselves!  As time went on, new colonies were founded by leaders who disagreed with the state denominations.  Roger Williams and a small group of Baptists fled persecution in Massachusetts and founded the colony of Rhode Island; similarly, groups of Puritans, Lutherans, Quakers, and various reformed groups such as the Dutch, French, and German Reformed Churches came to America and founded their own colonies.

The framers of our Constitution recognized the danger posed by government-instituted religions, and sought to restore religious freedom as one of the protections laid down in the Bill of Rights.  The First Amendment reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”  It protects every person’s right to believe what they choose, and to act out those beliefs in any way they see fit.

Today, the phrase “wall of separation between church and state,” fairly describes the conundrum created by the evolution of religious freedom thought in our country.  Perhaps our founders never considered that the religion of atheism would demand equal or superior standing to any form of theistic worldview.  Individuals demanding freedom from the presence of manifestation of religion in public or in any way associated by word or property relationship with any agency of government have complicated this issue immensely.  Since the 1940s, the Supreme Court has ruled a series of cases reflecting this change: it required governmental ‘neutrality’ on issues of religion in 1947, prohibited religious teaching in public schools in 1948, and in 1963 declared school-sponsored prayer and Bible reading to be unconstitutional.  Daniel Driesbach of the Heritage Foundation writes, “Today, this figure of speech is accepted by many Americans as a pithy description of the constitutionally prescribed church-state arrangement, and it has become the sacred icon of a strict separationist dogma that champions a secular polity in which religious influences are systematically and coercively stripped from public life.”  Essentially, the wall of separation has been broken down, turned around, and reestablished so that most Americans are more concerned about protecting the state from the church than about protecting the church from the state.

Our founders’ original intent, however, was quite to the contrary: the First Amendment was intended to eliminate governmental interference in religious matters.  The concept of separation of church and state was first mentioned by Thomas Jefferson in a letter to a group of dissenting Baptists: “Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, … that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with solemn reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.”  James Madison explained it best when he said, “The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries.”  Thus, the First Amendment was not meant to protect the government from religion, but to protect religion from the government. This amendment is twofold: therein lie both freedom from state-instituted religion and the liberty to practice one’s own religion unhindered.

Section one of the International Human Rights Act reads, “Freedom of religious belief and practice is a universal human right and fundamental freedom articulated in numerous international instruments,” and lists six other international declarations and treaties that deal with religious freedom as a basic human right.  Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes that “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.  This right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance.”  It is widely agreed that freedom of religion is a right that everyone should have access to; but what should be the role of the United States concerning religious freedom abroad?

In spite of aforementioned religious freedom problems of our own, many argue that the United States should work to protect and advance religious freedom on a global scale.  According to the Washington Post, Secretary of State John Kerry is pursuing “the creation of a new Office of Faith-Based Community Initiatives, illustrating the U.S. government’s recognition that engagement with religious representatives, institutions, and organizations is crucial for fostering security, democracy, and development overseas.”  Professor Tom Farr of Georgetown University, a staunch advocate of integrating religious freedom into US foreign policy, writes, “there is a practical concept of religious freedom … that can be adapted by Muslim societies,” a concept “similar to what the Amercan founders meant by religious freedom.”  He says that fostering religious freedom in Muslim-majority countries is in the United States’ interest, because doing so can “help struggling democracies such as Egypt and Pakistan attain a measure of stability that will undermine the kinds of extremist Islamist ideas that fuel terrorism.” 

My generation can advance freedom of religion by participating in the political process and populating our government with people who will defend religious and civil liberty in our own country. This will maintain a safe foundation for religious and humanitarian non-governmental organizations to build coalitions that can export goodwill to persecuted groups around the world.  Thus can the spark of religious freedom become inflamed, starting in the smallest groups of people, individuals and families, so that the next generations can enjoy an environment where a non-violent religion, no matter how gentle or frail, can be grasped or rejected without attracting unwanted attention or persecution, or compromising a person’s right to pursue peace and prosperity.

However, just as it cannot enforce or favor any particular religion within its borders, the U.S. Federal Government cannot actively stimulate religious freedom around the world when there are countries where the best a Buddhist, a Christian, or even an Atheist could hope for is ostracism, and the norm is torture and death.  If the U.S. steps into such countries and tries to change that, they are in direct opposition to a belief system that dictates the conversion or death of non-believers.  Additionally, it would be nearly impossible for the USFG to promote religious freedom globally without violating the Establishment Clause of our own First Amendment.  If, for instance, US forces were to enter a Muslim-majority country and demand that the government stop persecuting local Christians, we would immediately be accused of trying to establish Christianity in that nation.  On the other hand, is it somehow in the United States’ interest to protect freedom of religious expression for those whose religion demands that they kill all who refuse to conform to their faith?  Clearly, a body politic cannot promote religious freedom per se, but this need not preclude any group, including a government, from working unapologetically to establish and defend an ascertainable standard of human rights, and in so doing, to create environments where religious freedom will be a byproduct of those humanitarian efforts.  There would probably be overwhelmingly popular global support for the value that torture, murder, and genocide are unacceptable, so that attempts to eradicate such reprehensible behavior would not be interpreted as religiously motivated.

Eleanor Roosevelt encouraged, “Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm, or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.”  While my generation is not now equipped to foster and protect the religious freedom of every individual in each country around the world, we do have a role to play right here at home.  We cannot end the persecution of Christians in Pakistan or eliminate the timeless battle between Israeli Jews and their Islamic neighbors, but we can fight for the right to free expression and assembly in our own schools and workplaces.  We cannot independently guarantee that our own government will not infringe upon religious freedom, but we can choose to vote for congressmen who will defend it.  These may seem like slight, insignificant efforts, but Samuel Adams declared, “It does not take a majority to prevail, but an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.”  Inspired by the historical significance of religious freedom in our country, with a proper understanding of the separation of church and state, and the knowledge that we as private individuals have a responsibility that the Federal Government does not have, my generation can initiate a campaign for religious liberty that could aid the advancement of freedom around the globe.

Works Cited

Driesbach, Daniel L. "The Mythical "Wall of Separation": How a Misused Metaphor Changed Church–State Law, Policy, and Discourse." The Heritage Foundation. N.p., 23 June 2006. Web. 30 Oct. 2013.

Goodrich, Luke. "The Becket Fund FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY." Becket Fund. N.p., 18 July 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.

Hurd, Elizabeth Shakman. "Foreign Policy Magazine." Foreign Policy. N.p., 12 June 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.

Skousen, W. Cleon. "Provision 215: From the First Amendment." The Making of America: The Substance and Meaning of the Constitution. Washington, D.C.: National Center for Constitutional Studies, 1985. p. 675-88. Print.

United States. Cong. International Religious Freedom Act. 105th Cong., 2nd sess. Cong Res. 2431. N.p.: n.p., 1998. Web.

Give Thanks ~ God is Good to America!

Throughout our history, America has given thanks to God, who faithfully provides for our needs and protects our liberties.  On October 3, 1789, President George Washington issued a proclamation naming Thursday, November 26, 1789, as an official holiday; this was the first Thanksgiving under the new Constitution.  Seventy-four years later, on October 2, 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln enumerated God's blessings on the American people and proclaimed Thanksgiving a nationwide holiday to be commemorated on the last Thursday of November.  Every year since then, the president has addressed the nation with a reminder of the blessings the almighty hand of Providence has bestowed upon this great nation.

In his Thanksgiving proclamation, George Washington undeniably acknowledged God as the Almighty Creator of the universe.  He began, “...it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly implore his protection and favor...”  He assigned the 26^th of November, 1789, “to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be,” and implored the people to unite in “rendering unto Him [their] sincere and humble thanks for his kind care and protection of the People...” and in “most humbly offering [their] prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech[ing] Him to pardon [their] … transgressions.”

Abraham Lincoln also gave glory to God when he proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863.  He began by reminding the people where all their blessings had come from: “The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies.  To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.”  He described the goodness of God even in the midst of the Civil War, saying that peace was preserved, the laws were followed, order was maintained, and harmony prevailed everywhere except in the area of military conflict.  The resources given to the war effort hadn't put a damper on the plough, the shuttle (referring to the weaving industry), or the ship; American territory was enlarged, and the mines yielded abundantly.  Population had increased in spite of the war, and freedom had flourished.  Lincoln recognized that “no human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things.  They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.  It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people.” He proclaimed the last Thursday of November “as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwells in the Heavens.”

On Thanksgiving Day in 1901, Theodore Roosevelt marveled over the leaps and bounds America had taken from its humble beginnings. “Year by year this Nation grows in strength and worldly power. During the century and a quarter that has elapsed since our entry into the circle of independent peoples we have grown and prospered in material things to a degree never known before, and not now known in any other country. The thirteen colonies which straggled along the seacoast of the Atlantic … have been transformed into the mightiest republic which the world has ever seen. Its domains stretch across the continent from one to the other of the two greatest oceans, and it exercises dominion alike in the arctic and tropic realms. The growth in wealth and population has surpassed even the growth in territory. Nowhere else in the world is the average of individual comfort and material well-being as high as in our fortunate land.”  It is truly amazing to consider how far we have come and how blessed we are as a nation!  Let us give thanks, for how could our nation have succeeded and prospered without Almighty intervention?

In John F. Kennedy’s 1963 Thanksgiving address, he echoed Roosevelt’s amazement at the extent of American power, the growth of American population, the expanse of American industry, and the luscious standards of American living, giving thanks to God for all of it.  More significantly, Kennedy declared, “Today we give our thanks, most of all, for the ideals of honor and faith we inherit from our forefathers—for the decency of purpose, steadfastness of resolve and strength of will, for the courage and the humility, which they possessed and which we must seek every day to emulate. As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.”  We are a nation that has been blessed in unbelievable ways—we have a strong faith heritage like no other—we must never forsake that heritage, but instead must give thanks for it that it may shine on another year!

Ronald Reagan brought a reminder we all should heed.  “As we celebrate Thanksgiving in 1981, we should reflect on the full meaning of this day … Searching our hearts, we should ask what we can do as individuals to demonstrate our gratitude to God for all He has done. … Let us recommit ourselves to that devotion to God and family that has played such an important role in making this a great Nation, and which will be needed as a source of strength if we are to remain a great people.”  As we celebrate Thanksgiving in 2013, let us not take for granted those who are closest to us—the dear friends and family that God has placed in our lives.  Let us take notice of the small, everyday delights which are so bountifully bestowed upon us; let us commit to building relationships that will bring glory to God for years to come; and let us turn our faces to God, who brings all things together for good for those who love him.

Our greatest American Presidents saw the significance of God's blessing on the American people, both individually and as a whole, and the importance of our acknowledging His providence.  Let us give wholehearted thanks to our God this Thanksgiving, for all of our blessings—great and small.  He has never failed to provide for those who trust him day by day, and who take hold of His gentle, mighty, loving, provident hand.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His love endures forever.” ~ Psalm 136:1

Happy Thanksgiving, Friends! Remember what the Lord has done for you!

Shuttered Windows ~ Darkness Flees

Imagine a little house, built in the ideal location on the edge of a forest, and all around the house flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, and critters are emerging to welcome the sunrise.  Inside the house, however, everything is dark, dank, and dusty.  There is a pile of garbage stinking in the corner, and all kinds of nasty things are hiding in every nook and cranny.  The windows of the house are all boarded up, and the single resident hasn’t seen the sun in much too long.  That poor soul is ill, afraid, and withered—both at heart and in body—almost like King Theoden before Gandalf’s return.  He sometimes makes weak and futile attempts to chase away the shadows and the stink, but he is powerless to do so and they remain, smothering him all the more.  Still, the darkness inside that little house does nothing to darken the beauty and freshness of the spring sunrise.

Finally, someone approaches the house and requests entrance.  After receiving permission from the withered figure within, the newcomer swings wide the door and enters the house.  She throws back the shutters, allowing the morning sunlight to flood the dark room, and the shadows immediately flee.  She tosses all the garbage and stinking refuse out of the house, and the fresh spring breeze carries away all the dusty, dank odors.  Meanwhile, with the sunlight soaking his pale skin and the fresh air filling his lungs, the resident becomes younger, stronger, and more joyful.  He no longer desires to shut out the brilliance of the outside, but instead is ready to run out onto the grass and tell others of the restoration he has found.  He seeks out other gloomy houses with emaciated inhabitants, knocks on their doors, and shares the glory of the morning with them.

This portrait is, of course, allegorical.  The fresh, blooming beauty of the outdoors represents creation, God’s glorious work that He called ‘good.’  The dark inside of the house is our filthy, darkened souls after the invasion of sin, filled with the garbage of guilt and grudges and fear; and the poor inhabitant of the house is our pathetic selves—hating what we’ve become but weak and powerless to do anything about it.  Just like the shadows inside the house don’t touch the magnificence of the spring morning, so our murky, grimy selves don’t in any way diminish the original splendor of God’s creation.

When that someone knocks on the door of the house, we see loving, compassionate believers entreating us to open our hearts to Jesus; the fleeing of the darkness before the sunlight represents the joy and peace that flood our hearts and souls when we allow Him to enter.  The shadows of doubt flee from the brilliance of His presence, and He throws our fear and anger and regret to the wind, so to speak.  Once we know the fullness of God’s grace and love, we no longer fear it and attempt to shut it out; no, we are driven by an urge to share the message with the world so that all may experience that infinite, indescribable joy.  We are charged to be door-knockers, shutter-openers, and light-bringers to the world… what a glorious privilege that is!

Unreasonable Search? ~ The NSA and the Fourth Amendment

Send an email; make a phone call; perform a Google search; comment on a post on Facebook or another social networking site.  These are all things that most of us do on a regular basis; and the chances are good that you and I, and the average American, aren’t exchanging secrets that would endanger the nation.  Why then does our government feel it is necessary to record every phone or internet interaction of each United States citizen, both within and without our borders?  The fourth amendment to the Constitution states, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”  Translated into more common terms, it says, “Unless there is a viable reason to believe that an individual has done something wrong, the government has no license to wriggle its fingers into private property or interactions.  It should mind its own business unless it has something specific that’s worth investigating.”  To the frustration and terror of many Americans, our government, under the guise of 'protecting national security,' now operates with bold disregard for the Fourth Amendment.

The National Security Agency, or the NSA, was created by the Truman Administration during the Korean War to protect national security by monitoring foreign communications.  The domestic branch of the NSA was established by the George W. Bush Administration after the 2001 terrorist attacks.  President Bush licensed the NSA to conduct surveillance inside the United States, monitoring the communications of as many as one thousand people suspected to have connections with Al Qaeda.  Since then, however, the program has grown and begun targeting millions of Americans never suspected of a crime.

Shortly after the 2001 attacks, NSA representatives approached the nation’s leading telecommunications companies with a persuasive message: our national security is at risk, and we need you to help prevent attacks on our country.  The NSA convinced them to turn over their ‘call-detail’ records, a complete listing of the call histories of their millions of customers, and provide updates so the NSA could monitor the nation’s calling habits.  While its actions do not include actual sound recordings of calls, the NSA now possesses a complete record of who we are calling—long distance and local calls—and how often.

NSA surveillance doesn’t stop at phone communications, however: their eyes are on our internet activity as well.  Every time we send an email or carry out another internet-based communication, we are transmitting data across telecommunications companies’ wires and fiber optics networks.  The NSA has installed interception devices called ‘fiber optics splitters’ at many of the telecommunication network junctions in the United States.  These devices make copies of the data passing through them, sending one to our intended recipient, and the other to the NSA. 

The original purpose of the NSA’s phone and internet surveillance was to scan messages and communications for suspicious key words, phrases, patterns, or connections.  I personally have nothing to hide – like I said, I don’t possess any classified information or have any interactions that would imperil the country – but the right to be secure from unlawful searches is guaranteed to all Americans by the the fourth amendment.  The information we are exchanging isn’t dangerous to America as a whole, but it is confidential; our interactions with family members and friends are for their eyes and ears, not the government’s.  Recall the Fourth Amendment’s “probable cause” justification: at what point does our private communication become the government’s business?  Naturally, if there is a reasonable suspicion that an individual is in league with a terrorist organization or plotting to overthrow the government, that would warrant governmental intervention; but the tens of millions of innocent Americans being spied on by the NSA are not a threat.  In light of the Fourth Amendment’s provision that no private individual should be analyzed without justification and particularly specified bounds, we can conclude that the NSA—and therefore the federal government—are reaching too far into the lives of private citizens.  We need to put the government back in the box created by the Constitution and make the NSA play by the rules, because we must not sacrifice too much privacy and liberty in the name of safety.

Works Cited

"How the NSA's Domestic Spying Program Works" Electronic Frontier Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 14  Oct. 2013. <https://www.eff.org/nsa-spying/how-it-works>.

"NSA Has Massive Database of Americans' Phone Calls." USATODAY.com. N.p., 11 May 2006. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. <http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-05-10-nsa_x.htm>.

From Cover to Cover ~ My Top Ten Books

Books have always been an important part of my life, but over the past two years or so they have become more essential than ever to my personality and passions.  Reading is one of my favorite pastimes: I love how one can open a book and be transported to another time, another place, or even another world—one where giants, centaurs, fauns, minotaurs, elves—and yes, Hobbits—tread the same paths with men, where trees walk, animals talk, and mice carry swords.  C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia are among my favorite stories, trumped only by Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.  In reading, though, the real world has opened up to me in some less pleasant ways.  I have begun exploring myriad political, sociological, theological, and scientific non-fiction

books that are opening my eyes to how far the world has come from where our Creator placed it, and our country from where our founders began it.  Still, there are many enlightening and encouraging books out there that give one hope for the future.  I am writing this in an attempt to identify the books that have proven most significant to my life so far—those that have changed me for the better or impassioned me to take action, or both.  I’ll explain right now why Narnia and The Lord of the Rings didn’t make it onto this list: while those books are phenomenal, and indeed contain some fascinating religious and philosophical implications, they have not impacted me in a significant way, at least relative to the changes these other books have wrought on my perspective and worldview.  I'm not including the Bible because, well, that is implicitly stated.

Without further ado, let the countdown begin!

10. Animal Farm by George Orwell.  

This book is not quite what I would call an enjoyable read—at least near the beginning before it gets ‘rolling.’  Still, its message is a vital one.  “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”  How did we ever grasp the true nature of Soviet Communism before George Orwell explained it so precisely?  Though subtitled a “Fairy Story,” this book is far from such.  With its swinish dictators, gullible sheep, and credulous workhorses, Animal Farm clearly demonstrates the goals, flaws, and results of Soviet Communism.  More importantly, it is a stark warning to America of what we could easily become if we allow free market capitalism to be destroyed.

9. Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell.  

This is a very thick book, and I actually haven’t finished reading it yet.  Even so, I have been deeply impressed by the portion I have read.  The subject of economics is often considered boring, complex, irrelevant to average citizens—especially young ones; but Sowell explains, in common-man terms using comprehensible, everyday examples, the significance of concepts such as rent control, price caps, and natural price fluctuations to the success of the free market economy and the life of every single American.  This book is imperative to anyone who cares about understanding the detriment that government regulation has on conservative efforts to preserve free market capitalism in America.

8. Tomorrow by Maria Edgeworth.  

I used to suffer from a condition that many teenagers face; while my case was perhaps not as severe as some, I had a tendency to procrastinate.  For the past year, however, I have enjoyed almost complete freedom from that vice; though a bit far-fetched, this novel paints a vivid, astounding picture of the dangers of procrastination.  Since I read it, I have made a monumental effort to conquer my habit, and have thus become more effective in most areas of my life.  Tomorrow is the story of a young man, full of potential, who is constantly passing up opportunities, simply by waiting until tomorrow to complete a task.  As he grows older, his blunders become more and more frustrating to the reader; the final tragedy falls when… (Sorry, I never got around to finishing this paragraph).  Just kidding.  I'll let you read it for yourself.

7. Growing Up Christian by Karl Graustein and Mark Jacobsen.  

I’m a ‘church kid,’ and blessed to be so; but this book awakened me to a unique danger that we ‘church kids’ face. Growing up in a Christian home, hearing and reading God’s word regularly, does not assure that we enjoy a vital relationship with Christ Himself—we might learn and believe only in our mind.  At some point, we must enter into a personal relationship with Jesus, a relationship that can only be granted by the Holy Spirit, not by our parents, no matter how desperately they want us to have the faith that saves.

6. That Printer of Udell’s by Harold Bell Wright.  

Besides being a phenomenal novel, the kind you grab on an autumn afternoon when you’re going to cozy up with your hot chocolate, this book carries a powerful message.  This is the story of Dick, a young man with a checkered past who overcomes the condescending glares of society, rising to become a respected and successful businessman and church leader.  When Dick the ‘tramp’ returns to his hometown after a vagabond life, he is turned away by all the churches in town—the ‘Christians’ judge him the most harshly of anyone he encounters.  This is the story of the church, the primped Sunday Christians; there are nearly a dozen churches in town, and all talk of fixing the problems of the poor and unsaved, but only one actually opens its doors to the same.  It’s the story of George Udell, who refuses to associate with Christians because of the hypocrisy of the church, but offers the only open door to poor Dick.  It’s the story of Amy, a young Christian with a servant heart who travels a long and rocky road as she tries to escape the judgment of her “Christian” parents.  This is a story of genuine love, redemption, and the triumph of truth.  This is the story that made Ronald Reagan want to become president.

5. The Hour that Changes the World by Dick Eastman.
Throughout the Bible we are given clear instructions on how to pray.  We are told to praise, recognize God’s nature (Psalm 63:3); wait on the Lord, silently marveling in His presence and love (Psalm 46:10); confess our sins, weaknesses, and need for grace (Psalm 139:23); remember the world through prayer (1 Timothy 2:1-2); bring our personal needs to the Lord (Matthew 7:7); Give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:18); worship in song (Psalm 100:2); and listen quietly for spiritual instruction (Ecclesiastes 5:2).  For the mature Christian who wishes to draw closer to God and become a more powerful instrument in His mighty hand, this book outlines a practical method for the hour of prayer.

4. This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti. 

"For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness..." (Ephesians 6:12, RSV)  This intense, suspenseful novel offers a breathtaking, shiver-inducing glimpse into the dangers of temptation, the darkness of occultism, the bloodthirstiness of demon possession… and the triumphant power of prayer.  Spiritual forces of evil are active in the town of Ashton, working to subdue the people there—and eventually rule the entire human race.  Angels and demons clash over the ownership of souls, and The Remnant gathers to empower the Heavenly Warriors through prayer.  This book reminds us that, though we can’t often see it, spiritual warfare is very real—and very frightening… and, more importantly, that God’s warriors are ready to spring to our aid: they await only a word of prayer.

3. Assumptions That Affect our Lives by Dr. Christian Overman. 

“To understand the present, we must understand the past.” This statement emphasizes the fact that, though times change, our inherent human nature remains the same.  Sinful actions and desires may change in actual deed, but they will never change in nature.  Also, if we are to understand the fundamental beliefs and assumptions of humanity today, we must examine those of the humanity that came before; for, again, humanity really isn’t much different than it has ever been.  We have seen some significant change of assumptions in America’s past.  For example, it is assumed in today’s society that if a boy brings a deadly weapon to school, mass murder will result.  Fifty years ago, children in junior high brought guns to school for show-and-tell.  They were cool—and for hunting rabbits.  Times have changed.  4,000 unborn children die every day in America, something that would have been unthinkable a hundred years ago.  America is on a steep decline, in all the same ways as Ancient Greece right before its fall.  Something needs to change.  Through a step-by-step comparison between Ancient Greece and modern America, this book emphasizes the importance of consciously filtering the assumptions that we make, because those assumptions are the foundation of our beliefs, our actions, and the course our world takes.

2. The Words We Live By by Linda R. Monk.  

America: the land of the free and the home of the brave.  The United States Constitution is the basis for our most fundamental rights as Americans and has been a key element in nearly every major legal and political debate in our history.  Yet, so many Americans today do not understand the language used by our founders or know the most basic provisions of the Constitution.  The Constitution made America the land of the free—indeed, the Constitution is the very cornerstone and pinnacle of American freedom; and behind the Constitution is a carefully laid groundwork of philosophical and religious ideologies, and surrounding it are various court decisions that have shaped its interpretation.  All of these are necessary in order to understand the Constitution, and therefore the most basic of our American liberties.  This book explains everything in common terms, wonderfully accessible to the common citizen and yet beautifully insightful.  Every American needs to read this book, for the knowledge contained therein is vital to adequately fulfilling our role in this democratic-republic that we call America.

Number 1. drumroll please…  I talk about this book all the time.  I did a speech on it in forensics competition last year.  I have referenced it in almost every college entrance essay I’ve written so far.  Second only to the Bible, this book has played the single most significant role in shaping who I am today.  Reading it was like being born again a second time (Eh, that almost sounded sacrilegious).  Seriously, though: this book changed my life.  You guessed it:

Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris.  Ironically, I didn’t want to read it at first.  My mom discovered it and got it for me, and I assumed it was another one of those ‘how to make your kid better’ books.  I wasn’t interested.  It sat on my desk for about two weeks; it was almost time to return it to the library before I finally picked it up.  Once I opened it, I was enthralled, and this book went on to win the gold medal of ‘most significant book in my life.’  Teenagers themselves, Alex and Brett challenge teens to step out of their comfort zones, explode through the stereotypical low expectations our culture has placed on us, and prove to the world—and ourselves—that we are capable of accomplishing amazing things.  To read my full thoughts on this book and my story surrounding it, check out my post, ‘Do Hard Things ~ Their Story Meets My Story.’

That concludes the countdown of my top ten most significant books.  I hope my comments have been at least interesting, if not inspiring, to you brave and admirable souls who persevered in reading this entire post.  I will inevitably find a need to amend or rewrite it in the near future.  May these books bless you as they have me.

God Said It, I Believe It ~ All Scripture is God-Breathed

I believe that the earth was created in six days—six literal days.  God created the earth on the first day, sky on the second, and oceans and dry land on the third; He spoke the sun and moon into existence on the fourth day, creatures of the skies and seas on the fifth, and finally, on the sixth day, animals of the ground.  God saw that it was good, but He also saw that nothing in all of creation was capable of reciprocating His abundant love.  I believe that, out of the dust of the ground, God made man in His image, to rule over the fish and the birds and the livestock and over all the creatures.  Then God saw all that he had made, and declared it to be very good.  I believe that on the seventh day God rested from all he had done.  All this I believe because I read it in the Bible; it’s right there in Genesis chapter one.

I have heard it said that a person can be a Christian, believing in the deity of Jesus Christ incarnate, and yet be an “old-earth” creationist.  These people argue that the first chapter of Genesis is not meant literally—that it is allegorical—that a “day” in Genesis could have been an undefined length of time, perhaps a hundred years or a thousand years or a million years.  They refer to 2 Peter 3:8 which states, “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”  Some even argue that God could have used evolution to create the world—“Theological evolution.”

God created the universe in six days... When I think about His power, his ultimate dominion over the universe, I wonder: why did he take so long?!  Really, couldn't he have done it in the blink of an eye, with the snap of his fingers?  2 Peter 3:8 tells us that God is timeless.  He had no beginning, and He will see no end.  He never changes, in a minute or a day or a hundred thousand years, and He can do anything at any time He pleases.  I believe He took six whole days for creation to set a precedent that is widely held today: when He created the universe, God also created the seven-day week.  Work six days, rest on the seventh.  

But I digress from the topic at hand.  The point I want to focus on is this: the Bible says the universe was created in six literal days.  God said it.  I believe it.  It’s that simple.

“All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” ~2 Timothy 3:16-17

How can a professing Christian say they believe in the incarnation of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Bible, but refuse to believe that the universe was created in six literal days, also as recorded in the Bible?  What would this person say about a worldwide flood that destroyed all living things, or a woman being turned to a pillar of salt, or a city crumbling at the sound of a trumpet blast?  What would they say about a virgin giving birth, or a dead man, in the grave for four days and beginning to stink, returning to life?  How about a man walking on water, feeding thousands with five loaves and two fish, turning water to wine, healing the blind, lepers, and paralyzed, or casting out demons?  What would such a person say about that same man taking the sins of all humanity on his shoulders, dying a brutal death, descending into hell for three days, then returning to life, never to die again, and ascending into heaven?!  As crazy as some of that sounds, I believe every word because God said it!  

Either we believe the Bible or we don’t.  All scripture is God-breathed.  There is no qualifier, no limiting criterion.  Whether we like it or not, we must accept the entirety of the Bible as God’s living Word.  Those sections that it might sometimes be nice to ignore—the parts that are difficult to obey: “clothe yourselves with compassion,” “obey your parents in everything,” “do not think of yourself more highly than you ought,” “bless those who persecute you”; need I go on?—are God’s indisputable instructions to His people.  Ken Ham writes, “God's people need to unashamedly and uncompromisingly stand on the Bible,” and, “We need to reinforce in our thinking and in our Christian churches that the Bible is the Word of God and that God has absolute authority over our lives. We must obey what He tells us about the principles of living in every area of life, regardless of what others think.”  Sometimes it’s difficult or uncomfortable to stand on the Word of God, and sometimes it takes a whole lot of faith to believe what it says, but we must never compromise.  Make the choice: do you believe that all scripture is God-breathed?