America's Cultural War
by Bruce Bangerter (Utah)
Address given during Freedom Forum of the IAP National Conference,
January 27, 2001, Murray, Utah. Mr. Bangerter is National Chairman
of the Independent American Party.
Introduction
In October, 1999, my wife and I had the pleasure of going to Israel.
One morning we got up real early to go on a tour that began at 3:00 AM.
The tour bus took us out into the Judean desert, and to the foot
of the Massada.
Now the Massada is a plateau out in the desert, which is a natural
mountain fortress. It has sheer cliffs on all sides from 500 to 1200
feet high.
We climbed up the Massada plateau, along a snake-like trail in the
dark. We reached the top in time to see the sunrise come up over the
Dead Sea and mountains of Moab beyond. It was a beautiful sight.
As we looked at the Massada, we thought about what happened there in
the First Century AD. The Massada was held by a group of Jewish Zealots
-- 960 men, women and children -- who were among the most daring,
zealous and desperate freedom fighters who ever stood up and resisted
the Roman army. They held off the Roman army for a year while the Romans
laid siege, and built a great earth ramp and high tower.
When the tower was completed in the Spring of 73 AD, the Romans one
morning climbed the tower and stormed the Massada. They were surprised
to be met with silence, and shocked at what they found.
The night before the attack, the Zealots made a covenant. Then each
husband went to his family and embraced his wife and children, gave them
long parting kisses, with tears in their eyes; then slew his family. All
the men then assembled and drew lots, selecting ten men who then killed
all the other men. Those ten then drew lots, selecting one who
killed the other nine, then took his own life.
These freedom fighters -- 960 men, women and children -- had a choice
between rape, torture and slavery, or death. They chose the latter.
Fortunately in America, we still have more than two choices.
Later that day, on our tour, our bus took us to the top of the
Mount of Olives. We looked down and could see Jerusalem and the city
walls. Then I thought of a painting I had seen about at month before at
the BYU Bookstore in Provo [Utah].
It was a painting of Jesus Christ sitting on the Mount of Olives,
gazing at Jerusalem and the city walls, and lamenting the words found in
Matthew (23:37): "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, ... how oft would I have
gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens
under her wings, and ye would not!"
Then in my mind, I pictured the Savior looking down on our country
and lamenting "O America, America, ... how oft would I have
gathered thy children together, ... but ye will not!"
Someone said, "No great nation has ever been destroyed by a foe
from without which has not already destroyed itself by corruption
within." The landscape of history is strewn with the remains of
many such nations.
Scholars, religious leaders and historians have long recognized a
cycle in the history of nations. The cycle has four major phases: The
first is humility. When a people are humble, there is a bonding and
cohesion in their society. And this leads to righteousness. When the
people are righteous, they reap the blessings of God -- such as peace,
joy, prosperity and freedom.
But sadly, in many cases, that prosperity turns the people to pride.
When they are proud, it brings on a fracturing and erosion of their
society. And that often leads to wickedness. And the wickedness reaps
the cursings of Satan -- war, sorrow, misery and tyranny, and sometimes
destruction and annihilation. But in many cases, out of their sorrow,
the people will become humble and repent, and start the cycle all over again.
Humility
America has had many humble moments. I would like to walk through a
few pages of our history where we have shown our humility and
righteousness, and God has been with us and helped us.
Columbus, in his journal, wrote: "It was the Lord who put into
my mind (I could feel His hand upon me) the fact that it would be
possible to sail from here to the Indies. ... He unlocked my mind, sent
me upon the sea, and gave me fire for the deed. ... who can doubt but
that the Holy Ghost inspired me." And many generations thereafter
would benefit.
The Pilgrims, in their record, wrote: "Being thus arrived in a
good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and
blessed the God of heaven."
Then many others, over the decades, came forth out of captivity to
the Promised Land, and did humble themselves before the Lord. They came
to build homes, raise families, erect churches, build schools, and to
worship God. They built spiritual fiber into the colonies.
Cohesion
And we bonded into a cohesive society. Our education system -- for
190 years until 1960, or 300 years counting the colonial years -- had three
primary purposes: To teach basic academic knowledge -- reading, writing,
arithmetic, science. To teach Christian heritage -- history, Bible
reading, and prayer. And to teach citizenship -- application of our
Christian culture to daily life.
We had traditional families. Family members worked together,
worshiped together, and had fun together. They were the building blocks
of our society. They were the strength of our nation. For a nation is
only as strong as the homes within it. There were happy, successful
marriages -- bonded against deterioration and divorce. The children --
it took two responsible parents to raise a family -- not a village. And
parents had rights; government was only in education.
Righteousness
We moved toward becoming a righteous nation. The First Continental
Congress -- during the time of the American Resistance -- began
their first session with a three-hour prayer. They knew they needed
God's help. And they called for civil disobedience.
When hostilities started -- with Paul Revere's ride and what was meant
to be a symbolic stand at Lexington Bridge with the Minutemen -- someone
fired a shot that was "heard 'round the world" and the War
began.
Congress selected George Washington to be Commander-in-Chief.
Washington refused a general's salary, because "to serve is honor
enough." And in his first order to his troops, he called upon
"every officer and man ... to live and act as a Christian soldier,
defending the dearest rights and liberties of his country."
God raised up 56 gallant men who signed a very radical document that
declared: "All men are created equal" ... "with certain
unalienable rights" such as "life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness." That governments derive their "just powers from
the consent of the governed." And that "these United Colonies
... are free and independent states."
The Liberty Bell is rung 100 times resounding the words from
Leviticus (25:10): "Proclaim Liberty to all the land -- and to the
inhabitants thereof."
The Revolution was enflamed; but we should have lost that war
militarily within a few months. But God is with us. He inspired
Washington to conceive a surprise Christmas Eve attack across the
Delaware. British reinforcements were delayed three months by contrary
winds at a critical point in war. God balanced the interest of nations
such that France allied with the United States. The Americans were
delivered by the power of God and became an independent and free nation.
There was a call for a Constitutional Convention -- and that convention should
have failed. There were extreme difference of opinion on representation
of small states, strength of a national government, slavery, etc. And it
was a hot stifling summer, with oppressive heat. The doors and windows
were locked for security reasons.
But God wrought upon those men, and they forged a Constitution with
marvelous principles of government: A separation of powers between the
legislative, executive and judicial -- which was inspired by the
scripture in Isaiah (33:22): "For the Lord is our judge, the Lord
is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King; He will save us."
We had a system of checks and balances between the entities of
government. And an armed citizenry as an ultimate check against tyranny.
And mainly, we had sovereignty of the people -- or consent of the
governed.
Blessings
We have been a righteous nation that at one time frowned upon
separation, divorce, out of-wedlock births, homosexual marriages, open
marriages, abortions.
We have been a Christian nation. Our coins are inscribed with the
words "Liberty" and "In God we trust." The cap of the
Washington Monument has the phrase "Praise be to God." And
there are many other symbols.
We have been a patriotic nation. George Washington said: "To the
distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest Glory to
laud the more distinguished character of Christian." The true
patriot loves God, his family, and his country; loves freedom; and loves
the Constitution, the flag, and all that is good in America.
And we have been a free nation. The scriptures say: (2 Corinthians
3:17) "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."
(Psalms 33:12) "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."
And (Proverbs 14:34) "Righteousness exalteth a nation."
Pride
But with those blessings and prosperity, we have turned to pride. In
the pre-dawn darkness, March 14, 1964, New York City. A young woman,
named Kitty Genovese, was stabbed to death near her apartment. She
attempted to resist and escape. Her assailant took over half-an-hour to
kill her because of her struggling.
About 40 neighbors heard her screams for help, but no one came to her
aid. After it was too late someone finally called the police. This was
the beginning of a new trend in our society of people not caring about
their neighbor, nor helping them in their need at any time. This type of
instance has happened many times since 1964.
On our culture -- Alan De Tocqueville said: "America is great because
America is good; and if America ceases to be good, America will cease to
be great."
We have new terms now for God's terms. America's new terms for
"drunkenness is alcoholism or a social disease. "Sodomy"
is now called gay rights, or an alternative life style.
"Perversion" is called adult entertainment.
"Immorality" is the new morality. The "unborn child"
is now called a fetus or tissue.
The attitudes of liberals is: You cannot legislate morality. All
cultures are equal. Abortion is a Constitutional right. Homosexuality is
genetic. Sexual activity by unmarried teenagers is inevitable. It makes
no difference whether there is a father in the home. It is bigotry to
prefer one religion to another.
Now morality is going to be legislated. There's no question about
that. The question is: Who's morality?
John Adams: "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and
religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any
other." Now many consider our Constitution to be outmoded, written
for horse-and-buggy days, a hindrance to international affairs and our
global relationship.
We have voter apathy due to disillusionment, being turned off by
politics, helplessness to do anything about it, indifference and
ignorance. And we've lost patriotism. The soldiers and even nurses who
fought or served in Viet Nam were actually spit upon when they returned
to America. No wonder they weep when they see the Wall. Our citizenship
roles have become blurred as we are less able to identify with the good
in America.
Erosion
And we see erosion in our society, such as the erosion of our
Constitution. Congress legislates -- usurping states rights -- beyond
their enumerated powers. The President -- such as with the land grabs --
usurps the powers of Congress and of the states. The Judiciary enacts
legislation by judicial decree.
Our 1st Amendment rights have been trampled by bans on school prayer,
Bible study, nativity scenes, posting of Ten Commandments, and
graduation prayers. The 2nd Amendment is being threatened. The 10th
Amendment States'
Rights have been trashed.
The 16th Amendment was added and gave the federal government power to
take the wealth of American citizens with the income tax. The 17th
Amendment gave the selection of Senators to the popular vote -- and
destroyed one of our checks and balances. Now they want to take away the
Electoral College -- another of our checks and balances.
We are in a culture war. The entertainment media promotes moral
impurity, mocks the traditional family, promotes illegitimacy, focuses
on the bizarre and perverted, and glorifies irresponsibility.
In education -- our academics have eroded badly. In 1902, the US
literacy rate was 98%. Five years ago, 700,000 students graduated from
America's high schools who couldn't read their own diplomas.
John Dewey, the father of modern education, was opposed to teaching
any absolutes of morals, government or ethics. He considered the
destruction of a child's individualistic traits as the primary goal of
education. He said, "You can't make socialists out of
individualists."
Sex education, in many cases, is nothing more than "academic
pornography."
Patriotism has been downgraded. They have distorted our history and
downgraded our heroes -- the founding fathers. Many school functions
don't allow the Pledge of Allegiance. Because the destruction of
children's love of country and patriotism is the first educational step
toward world citizenship.
The family has been assaulted. Now there are cases where divorce is
necessary. But half of all marriages end in divorce. And more people
are living together now first -- over half -- before they get married.
The politically correct myth for parents wanting to divorce is:
"Children always bounce back." But children from divorced or
single-parent homes often suffer serious emotional problems, such as
guilt, insecurity, anger and depression. The three major causes of
teenage deaths are: Auto accidents -- many from alcohol, suicide -- many
from broken homes, and homicide -- many from gangs.
And there is a growing movement in our country for the government to
take over the role of the parents. They want to replace the nurturing of
Christian families with the nurturing of a government structure.
Wickedness
In our pride, we have become a wicked nation. Americans
no longer desire freedom from government interference. They embrace the
centralized government our forefathers warned of. They have allowed
government to become all-powerful. They have exchanged freedom for
economic security. And they have been educated to dependence rather than
liberty.
"Mental illness" is now defined as a sense of loyalty to a
particular nation; a sense of loyalty to a particular moral code;
preference of one religion over another; strict adherence to concepts of
right and wrong; and opposition to foreign aid and communism. Basically
all that is needed now to revoke all your constitutional rights is to be
accused of being "mentally ill."
We have an onslaught of pornography. The destruction of marriage --
over half of divorces are caused by adultery, and much of that is
encouraged by pornography. And we are not just destroying the family, we
are training rapists and murderers with pornography.
Ted Bundy, serial sex killer of 28 to possibly 100 young women, said,
prior to his execution: "You are going to kill me, and that will
protect society from me. But at the same time there are many, many other
people who are addicted to hard-core pornography who may do the same
kind of things. And you are doing nothing about it."
Promiscuity -- unmarried mothers now account for 33% of all births in
the United States. Homosexuality -- you know, its not just a matter of
two gays getting together to do their thing on the side. Homosexuals
account for perhaps one or two percent of the population; yet they are
responsible for 50% of the acts of child molestation.
And abortion -- it has become our primary means of birth control. It
is our answer to Hitler's "Final Solution." Since last
Saturday, 28,000 abortions occurred in America -- which is half the
number killed in the entire Viet Nam war. 40 million babies have been sacrificed
to the God of Choice.
Cursings
We are reaping cursings now from our wickedness. We are the number
one nation in violence. We are in financial bondage -- no longer in
prosperity. Our personal wealth is being eaten up by high interest on
personal loans, excessive taxation and inflation. Our national wealth is
being eaten by deficit spending, interest on the national debt, and
the selling of America to foreign creditors.
Our national debt is now about $5.6 trillion, increasing at $75
million per day. But if we count the unfunded liabilities, such as
Social Security, our debt is $25 trillion. The share of the average
household to pay off that debt, is about one-quarter million dollars.
George Washington said, "Government is not reason; it is not
eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and fearful
master." Proverbs (29:2) in the scriptures says, "When the
righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked
rule, the people mourn." Our government is sixteen times the size
of what it was in 1960.
The twin hallmarks of tyranny is a national police force and a
disarmed citizenry." And they are certainly working for that. We
have treason in our government -- disbanding much of the armed forces,
aiding the enemy.
Navy Secretary John Lehman told the 1983 graduates of the U.S. Naval
Academy at Annapolis, in a speech there: "Within weeks many of you
will be looking across just hundreds of feet of water at some of the
most modern technology ever invented in America. Unfortunately, it is on
Soviet ships."
We see the destruction of our Constitution, with threats of a
Con-Con, the threat of the United Nations, global government and a
global judiciary. We're bringing on our cursings and possible
destruction -- its just a matter of time.
Vigilance
We have been asleep. John Dickinson (founder) said, "Political
slavery is ever preceded by sleep." In Matthew (13:25) it is
written, "But while good men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares
among the wheat, and went his way." Judge Learned Hand said,
"Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there,
no constitution, no laws, no court can save it."
And there is a feeling of hopelessness. Those who want to destroy
America, want us to believe the trend is inevitable, and to convince
Americans that resistance is hopeless. In 1st Corinthians (14:8) it
says, "For, if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall
prepare himself for the battle?" And in Psalms (11:3): "If the
foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?"
Once we resisted the evils coming into our society. Then we began to
tolerate; then began to accept; then openly condone; and now we promote
much of the wrong that is going on in America.
And how did this happen? Little by little, right before our eyes. Our
eyes grew accustomed to the dark. The lines of right and wrong became
blurred. We were no longer shocked. And, as in Ephesians (4:18), in
"having the understanding darkened."
But there is hope. In 2nd Chronicles (7:14), it is written: "If
my people which are called by My name will humble themselves and pray
and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from
Heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
Ezra Taft Benson said, "The God of heaven sent some of His
choicest spirits to lay the foundation of this government. And he has
sent other choice spirits to preserve it." I expect they may be
some of you.
Some one said, "To be born free is a privilege. To die free is
an awesome responsibility." William Harward, an author, wrote:
"The greatest glory of a freeborn people is to transmit that
freedom to their children." Freedom comes, not from the right to
choose, but from the making of right choices.
We have a Christian duty to be righteous and moral, and strengthen
our families. The scriptures (James 5:16) say, "The effectual
prayer of a righteous man availeth much." We have a Constitutional
duty to learn the principles of the Constitution; and to support, obey
and defend it. We have a Civic duty to get involved in good causes;
campaign for principled candidates; run for office; join protests and
boycotts against abortion, pornography, and so forth.
We have a Patriotic duty to speak out on issues: Attend public
meetings, letters to editors, letters to public officials, radio call-in
shows. You can exert your political influence through building and
strengthening the party of your choice. What may be a ripple now, may
become a flood at the right time in our fight for freedom.
The scriptures (Jeremiah 4:19) say, "I cannot hold my peace,
because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm
of war."
Today, new members of armored units of the Israeli Defense Forces
hike to the top of Massada, and take a symbolic oath of allegiance:
"Massada shall not fall again!" or "Massada stands!"
Let our cry be, "American stands!" May God be with you.
