Abe Lincoln said, "The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next."
The better we understand the education of the generations that led up to and included our founding fathers, the better we will understand exactly how they wanted us to be governed; and what were the driving ideals and passionate Truths that they were all willing to die for?
There is no doubt that America is the Richest, Strongest, Most Free, and mostgenerous nation that has ever existed. Not 1 in 10 public high school graduates can explain with any clarity why this is so. When many graduate from colleges they have been convinced to hate their Mother Country that still remains Freedom's only substantial hope on earth. This treason is rampant and only widespread knowledge of our true history can keep us free.
Does it not make sense that if the young people of America have no idea why we are special,they will not be able to defend what they do not understand?
Beyond any shadow of doubtthe most important fact of American history is the Christian Faith of our Founding Fathers! They studied the Bible hard as their primary textbook. They believed the Bible was the inspired and inerrant Word of God. They all believed that the 10 commandments were essential to peaceful civilization; and the Golden Rule was the source of the consideration and respect that held families and communities together.
Their belief in Satan and ultimate evil led to the first public education law ever passed in the United States in 1642 called "The Old Deluder Satan Act" because it was a chief aim of Satan to keep children from studying the Bible therefore the settlers made a law to insure that education was based on the Word of God.
The first textbook was published in America in 1690 by Benjamin Harris was called The New England Primer. This sweet book helped millions of American children for more than 200 years to learn their ABC's with Christian Rhymes:
"A" in Adams fall we sinned all.
"B" Heaven to find, the Bible mind.
"C" Christ crucified for sinners died.
The New England Primer also included prayers, lessons, and a catechism that taught the 10 commandments as well as their meanings. Most of the Founding Fathers who signed the Declaration of Independence, fought the Revolution, signed the Constitution and the Bill of Rights started their education with the Bible and the New England Primer.
The schools of higher learning that many of the Founding Fathers attended were based on the Christian Faith. Harvard helped educate John Adams, John Hancock and Sam Adams and declared its educational purpose clearly:
Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well the main end of his life and studies is to know God and Jesus which is eternal life, John 17:3, and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning.
Harvard students were required to read the Bible twice each day in order to give an account of his proficiency therein.
Yale taught many prominent founders such as Noah(dictionary) Webster and those students were required to be present both morning and evening at public prayer.
Princeton produced more Founding Fathers than any other single school: President and Father of the Constitution, James Madison, the Father of American Medicine and signer of the Declaration, Benjamin Rush; and the incredible John Witherspoon who literally mentored James Madison as President of Princeton and also signed the Declaration of Independence.
Princeton's educational policy was articulated by its first president, Jonathan Dickinson who stated, "Cursed be all that learning that is contrary to the Cross of Christ."
The 3 main reasons for education were stated as the required educational philosophy for any new states to be admitted to the Union in the Northwest Ordinance:
Religion, Morality, and Knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.
The Northwest Ordinance was passed by the same congress in the same year (1789) as the First Amendment regarding Freedom of Religion (Not Freedom from Religion) I have no doubt that they knew it gave them the right and the obligation to give Biblical Education to All American children.
George Washington was clearly the most important Founding Father and he was truly our spiritual father as well as First President. Many native Americans believed that he could not die in battle and when several Delaware Chiefs brought their children to him to be educated he said," You do well to wish to learn our arts and our ways of life, and above all, the Religion of Jesus Christ. This will make you a greater and happier people than you are."
Noah Webster was called America's Schoolmaster, he published the first American Dictionary in the English Language and it contained the greatest number of biblical definitions given in a secular volume. Noah standardized spelling for the first time in his famous "blue-backed speller" which sold a million copies a year for 100 years.
Noah Webster stated that "the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed...no Truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people." Webster also stated, "The Bible is the chief moral cause of all that is good"!!!
The Bible was by far the most important book to most of our 300 most influential Founding Fathers.
McGuffey's Readers were first published in 1836 and for 100 years they too sold a million copies or more each year. William McGuffey wrote upon publication that, "The Christian religion is the religion of our country." These great books carried the new nation to a character that would abolish slavery because millions believed that God was just and life is eternal so we must be willing to die for Righteousness sake.
The American dream was Freedom with Responsibility; and to lovingly seek and serve God and our fellow man and walk in the one true God's peace that passes all human understanding.
God is the Father of us all and only true source of love in the universe; why have we deprived millions of American children this glorious heritage?
Selfishness and depravity have replaced nobility and altruism because we have taught garbage and lies to American Children for many decades. Are we nuts? We are up against the wall...We are running out of time....We have traded an educational philosophy which works and results in deep satisfaction and eternal security; with nonsense that is an abject failure in millions of wasted lives who have millions of unwanted children.
The American Founding Fathers were right to teach Biblical values because: CHRISTIANITY IS ALWAYS THE BEST POLICY.
We are not a theocracy but one of the most intense battle cries of the Revolution was,"NO KING BUT KING JESUS!" amen
Thank God for another July 4th;
freedompoet
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
The Education of America's Founding Patriots
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5 comments:
When you consider how deeply Christianity permeated colonial society and the education of the colonials, though it sounds like a contradiction it would almost have been a miracle for the founders NOT to have been Christians, as revisionists claim.
Back then they understood, as George Washington said in his Farwell Address, that religion and morality are indispensable supports to a healthy nation.
OK. . . You have convinced me that this country's government was founded on Christian principles, and that our Founding Fathers were men of faith. I believe you.
The problem is, I don't think that even half of this country's people would care about that, wether Christian or not. The "American Dream" of today is to have as much stuff as possible or at least to live as comfortable as possible - even if you can't afford it - just charge it. To live a life of luxury and pleasure, that is the goal that is taught every day, in every school, on every TV, on every radio, in magazines, newspapers, movies, etc. Both parents are working to pay for at least two cars, nice houses, nice furniture, vacations, big screen TVs, computers, eating out, movies, sports, and on and on and on. Day-cares and public schools are raising the children of America.
- How do you reach a people that cares more about money than morals?
- How do we teach Christian principles in schools that won't let Christians have "free speech" in our public tax paid-for schools?
- And how do you change that, when America is not a Republic any more. America is a democracy - mob rule - and right now the majority don't want Christian principles. They want to stuff their fat faces and pad their pocket books. They care about tax breaks and gas prices not prayer in schools.
What are our options? What do we do? Christians don't have a very loud voice in America - how do we make it louder? How can we be heard over the never ending drone of the liberal Christ-hating media, Christ-hating public schools, Christ-hating colleges, etc.?
What are the Christian leaders teaching? and Why don't they join together in one voice? Maybe, they too are caught up in the comfort of our American wealth and prosperity - unwilling to risk their lives, their fortunes, their sacred honor.
Forgive me for being so negative, but I know many people are frustrated and don't know what to do, where to start, or even how to pray.
God bless you. I look forward to hearing more from you.
Anonymous 11:18, you're right that it's a daunting prospect, and I often share your frustration.
There are no quick and easy answers. The only realistic answer is that to turn things around, it's going to take a lot of patience, a lot of hard work, a lot of sticking our necks out, a lot of putting up with ridicule and mockery and abuse, a lot of making ourselves vulnerable, and a lot of sacrifice.
Here are a few things we can do, and should be doing more often:
- Practice our faith; LIVE it outside of church on Sunday morning. This includes getting familiar with the Bible and then LIVING what it says to do.
- Share our faith. The Bible says to always be prepared to give an explanation for the hope we have. You don't have to be a theologian to do that; just study your Bible, tell someone in personal terms what God has done and is doing in your life, and leave the results up to God.
- Teach our children and pass on our faith to them. (This may just be the biggest failing of most parents in the last 50 years). Deuteronomy chapter 6 says we are to take our faith so seriously that we talk about it all day long, throughout all our pursuits, and that we include our children in those discussions. We teach our children, we discipline our children, and we love our children by putting them before career goals and extra money.
- We speak up in the public arena, instead of ceding the public square to the secularists. We write letters to the editor, we call talk shows and TV news shows, we write guest editorials, we hold the media accountable when they're biased and misleading.
- We take part in the public arena. We go to school board meetings, we attend community meetings, we attend cracker barrel meetings, we attend political rallies, we talk to our elected representatives regularly, and we even run for office ourselves.
- We get informed on who our elected representatives are and where they stand on the issues. We support the ones closes to our values by working in their campaigns (even if it's just stuffing envelopes or licking stamps). We tell other people about the differences in the candidates, we give money to the candidates with good values, and we get out and vote and encourage other Christians to get out and vote.
- We support candidates who are in a position to appoint other officials, especially judges. We stand behind good judicial nominations, especially when the president nominates judges who will follow the Constitution.
It will take every one of these things--and more. Every Christian doesn't have to do every one of these things, but every Christian should be doing at least some of them.
You're right that we're all too addicted to our comforts, and we're slowly being boiled alive like the frog in the pot.
But if society is going to change and go back to the healthy atmosphere we once had, it will absolutely have to start with Christians.
2 Chronicles 7:14 is addressed to GOD'S PEOPLE, not unbelievers. Christians have to get serious and decide to be the salt and light of society that they're called to be. If they will, then it will season the whole of our civilization, and you'll finally see positive change.
I appreciate your candor, Anonymous. You said "I know many people are frustrated and don't know what to do, where to start, or even how to pray." I understand. But if we're serious, God will reveal something, even if it's small, that we can do. Then we only need the courage to step out in faith and do it. As young Samuel did in 1 Samuel 3, when God calls, we need to answer, "Here I am!"
Thank you, Bob, for the answers you gave to my questions.
You are right, and I am encouraged.
I for one will pray for God to show me what I can do, and I will answer, "Here I am, LORD."
It's a pity that your points will be buried away in these blogs. You should have a permanent link to a "What Christians Should Be Doing" page.
And thank you, Freedompoet, for sharing your knowledge and getting this blog going.
Ok guys, Stop for a moment.
Jews, Moslems, Buddhists, Hindus etc, all have moral and immoral adherents, all will die, have died, and will again be called upon to die for freedom from tyranny and oppression.
I was taught at home on McGuffey's Readers by my Jewish mother; morality is not the religion but can be found in the message of all prophets gods law is always the same, remember Christians inherited the Ten Commandments from the Jews, and Christ is the most quoted prophet in the Koran.
We are all one, and we should teach civics not religion in the class room.
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