A Christian Nation

In the comment section of a recent post, I drew some fire for making the following, apparently shocking claim:

We [Americans] see America, from the Pilgrims who signed the Mayflower Compact to the Biblical scholars… who birthed the nation, to the spirit of sacrifice and charity that thrives to this very day, not as a nation of Christians (for that freedom is at the deepest core of our common philosophy) but as a Christian nation.

It seems that there is a growing belief that because our Founders were stalwart advocates for religious liberty, and because some of them had very nuanced and sometimes cynical views about organized religion, the United States was somehow conceived to be a secular nation. This belief is not only untrue, but detrimental to an adequate understanding of the underlying political philosophy of the founding, not least of all because it envisions the government as the nation instead of merely the organization through which the nation conducts its civil affairs, and more importantly because it betrays the singular belief that undergirds the entire American experiment: That the rights of man come not from government but from God. (more…)

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Tags: Barack Obama, Christian Nation, constitution, Declaration of Independence, Everson vs Board of Education
Posted Aug 29th 2009 at 2:49 pm in Featured Story, Politics, Religion | 210542168 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jdboreing/2009/08/29/a-christian-nation/A+Christian+Nation2009-08-29+21%3A49%3A15Jeremy+D.+Boreing

Hero-Worship and God-Kings

God-kings are not new on the stage of human history, nor do they exclusively occupy the dusty corners of the distant past. One need only look to the Japanese worship of Emperor Hirohito during World War II to see that an industrialized, modern country can still vest in its leaders supernatural authority. And there are far more subtle ways of making divinity out of men as well.

The Apostle Paul was warned two-thousand years ago that, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Certainly his intention was to illuminate to the self-righteous that they do not live up to an actual standard of perfection, but perhaps there is more. For as surely as a man might be blind to his own failings, there seems to be some propensity in man to be selectively blind to the failings of others as well. This selective blindness may have many causes and find many expressions.  Some in our society carry cultural guilt and fear of accusations of bigotry that cause them to hold entire social, racial, and religious groups to different standards of judgment than others.  Still, it is the elevation of individuals above common scrutiny that creates idols of men. Whether it is a rock-star or actor, sportsman or elected leader, holding any man above reproach is folly, for in ceding to anyone our power to critique them, we grant them power man was not meant to have. (more…)

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Tags: Emperor Hirohito, Evan Thomas, george w. bush, George Washington, God
Posted Jun 14th 2009 at 12:36 pm in Uncategorized | 1584708 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jdboreing/2009/06/14/hero-worship-and-god-kings/Hero-Worship+and+God-Kings2009-06-14+19%3A36%3A09Jeremy+D.+Boreing

The Ghost of Abraham Lincoln

Gently walking through the hallway, the angular man traded his curiosity about his peculiar situation, (that of being back in his old home), for purpose. The purpose was containment of a problem. The problem was that of a young president gone astray.

The charge of his visit was given to him by Washington, who was not feeling very confident about a recent visit of his own. (See: “The Ghost of George Washington.”)

Mr. Lincoln was never one to forgo the instruction of the Founding Father, as Washington had visited him in spirit, and was always close to his heart in troubled times. So, like a soldier – on he walked.  (more…)

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Tags: capitalism, George Washington, ghost, Lincoln, Marx
Posted Apr 3rd 2009 at 2:51 pm in Politics, Religion | 9514660 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/emannix/2009/04/03/the-ghost-of-abraham-lincoln/The+Ghost+of+Abraham+Lincoln2009-04-03+21%3A51%3A06Ernie+Mannix

The Ghost of George Washington

“It’s says; ‘We The People’, Mr. Obama, – not ‘We the Government,’ nor ‘We the Bureaucrat,’ nor ‘We the Department of Everything Pleasant and Unpleasant,’” the rigidly regal legend declared just seconds after materializing in the bedroom. Then, turning towards the window, his eyes widened almost dis-pleasingly, as he surveyed the city given his name.

“Mr. Washington….  President Washington…” said a nervous Obama, “things are different now; I inherited a crisis… we need government to provide for the people, we need government for our banking system, and we need government to protect the quality of life for citizens all around the country.”

The elder tapped his chest with the lightest of touch, gripped his mouth and raised his chin slightly as if holding back an angry torrent of knowledge, his mind seemed to be sifting that knowledge as to politely address the younger man. Then, speaking slowly, he said softly: (more…)

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Tags: "We the People", big government, George Washington, Ghost of George Washington, Obama
Posted Mar 31st 2009 at 7:44 am in Politics | 914943 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/emannix/2009/03/31/george-washington-haunts-obama/The+Ghost+of+George+Washington2009-03-31+14%3A44%3A33Ernie+Mannix