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If we abandon Godliness, we will surely abandon liberty, for without morality, we are incapable of freedom

From Freedom to Bondage



Benjamin Franklin said that only a "virtuous people are capable of freedom." Franklin understood the importance of a moral society, and how secularism may seem free on the surface, but that a society that abandons the Laws of Nature by Nature's God ultimately leads themselves to bondage, under human masters and tyrannical statism. The Founding Fathers recognized the truth about human nature, primarily viewing it from a classical Christian angle.
Our rights are self-evident, but so is the fact that while humans are potentially decent, we also have darker inclinations that pose as a threat to ourselves, and society at large. The Book of Romans says we all fall short of the Glory of God, and for some, that may seem to be an understatement. Humans cannot be trusted with power, and are downright destructive when in possession of unrestricted power. Constitutionalism recognizes the framer's drive to divide power at every opportunity, ensuring that too much power never resided in the hands of the judiciary, the President, Congress, the States, or the people themselves. Rather than form a national government which would give too much power to the government, or a democracy which would give too much power to the people, the framers of the United States Constitution settled upon providing the new country with a republic. The republic is equipped with checks and balances, and a myriad of restraints, specifically to protect the public. But, as Benjamin Franklin told Elizabeth Powel on a grassy hill near Independence Hall, after the completion of the convention, "A republic, madam, if you can keep it," meaning that it would take eternal vigilance by all members of society to keep the system functioning properly. Culture drives politics, and since the founding of our nation, our society has experienced many changes. Some of those changes have been for the good, and some of those changes have served as a foundation for our journey towards bondage, and ultimately towards our own destruction. The federal government has seized numerous authorities, and a degradation of our culture through secular influences has moved us away from our virtuous nature as a society. Benjamin Franklin said, "As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters." We have moved so far away from virtue that the American Constitution is essentially in a state of suspension. Constitutional interpretation by politicians and judicial figures more intent on following the rule of man, rather than the rule of law, have trended politics towards what the Founding Fathers would have called "tyranny." The checks and balances have been eroded, and the voice of the people that participate have largely become nothing more than a rubber stamp of tyrants. The hopes of statist figures like Alexander Hamilton and John Marshall are being obtained, leading the American System to become a model more like the European models of authoritarianism we fled from and declared independency from, bearing little resemblance to the scheme of liberty agreed upon by the delegates of the federal convention in Philadelphia in 1787.

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As the masters over society tighten their grip

Human societies naturally change. It is in our human nature to be disobedient to the virtuous systems that produce prosperity, because in prosperity the work it took to get to that point in history is forgotten, abandoned, and considered to be antiquated. In times of surplus, society becomes complacent, willing to try to fix what isn't broke, unwilling to recognize that such prosperity requires maintenance to remain, and society begins to engage in transformative sequences that break down liberty, endanger prosperity, and reject morality, chasing humanistic schemes that ultimately lead humanity back to bondage. We abandon the Godly foundation that brought about our liberty, believing we can reinvent the wheel better than the Creator. We manipulate our societies until we are steeped in war, economic upheaval, and cultural decay. Moral, cultural, and social development changes direction, abandoning tradition. The fear of power in the hands of a ruling elite changes to a demand for more power in the hands of a ruling elite. The political class takes advantage of the opportunity for more power. The institutions of law begin to attract the corruptible. The rulers begin to claim that the tyranny they are applying is for the common good, in the name of fairness and justice, because society has become vicious and needs to be protected from itself. As the masters over society tighten their grip, they place blame for the loss of liberty, and the rise of violence brought on by unrest and division, on their opposition. Traditional morality is labeled as the enemy. Religious institutions become suspect, and all other opposition to the growing political class is called "greedy," "intolerant," and "unwilling" to participate in the evolution of society. Language is manipulated, and policies are put into place to silence, and ultimately eliminate, the opposition to the humanistic view of society and culture. The ruling ideology becomes the master ideology, morally superior, and unwilling to allow any dissent to exist. The nationalists in America have come to seek participation in a global hegemony, advocating compliance in a new world order that functions on its own moral motives that includes a redistribution of wealth, and a homogenization of the people. Eventually, representative institutions will be removed, in an attempt to abolish the decentralization of government set into motion by the enlightenment of the framers of the U.S. Constitution. Those who refuse to obey will eventually be restrained by the body politic, being required to be re-educated so the person can join the body of governmental drones as a mindless participant, or else be exiled so that their psychotic individualism will not poison the system established by the ruling elite. Voluntary associations will become subjected to government regulation, and individual liberty will need to be sacrificed so that each person can operate as nothing more than a useful cog in the collective. Obey, or be restrained by the body politic, and possibly removed permanently, marked as mentally deficient, and dangerous to the good of a collective society.

Patriotism is being redefined as love of government

Patriotism is being redefined as love of government. The functions of government, we are being told, have solely moral motives. The accumulation of power at the political center is being portrayed as necessary for the proper management of a just society. It is the height of morality, claim the political elite, for them to rule over the people to ensure that any persons that refuse to comply with the moral dictates of the ruling elite are forced into compliance. We must be encouraged by the leadership to only say the correct and acceptable things, bake the correct and acceptable wedding cakes, and preach and participate in the correct, government established, morality. The ruling elite's sense of moral superiority requires them to dominate and control, for the sake of the common good. You will comply, or be labeled a "phobe," a "bigot," or a "racist." The Founding Fathers recognized the danger of too much power in the hands of any person, or any group of persons. History reveals the dangers of placing too much power in any one location. However, a government with no power whatsoever cannot properly govern and protect society from external influences or attacks. No political objectives can be achieved when government has too little power. Therefore, a free society can only exist when the proper distribution of power exists. Localism calls for local issues to be maintained by local government. Federalism calls for a sharing of power between the central government, and the individual States, limiting the authorities of the central government to external issues that address common defense, trade with other nations, protecting trade routes, making treaties, resolving disputes between the States, and ensuring that a highway of communication exists and is maintained among the States, such as through something like a postal system. All other issues must be reserved to the States, and the local governments. Because human nature, and the inclination of people to pursue power, those who reside in political authority must be properly restrained and checked by a series of checks and balances. Limits enable society to function while restraining the seekers of power from subjecting society to tyranny. The framers of the U.S. Constitution were aware that the responsible exercise of power had moral preconditions. In the Declaration of Independence, the signers recognized that our rights are entitled to humanity by the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God. In a virtuous society these truths are self-evident, but without government these rights cannot be sufficiently protected. Without being a virtuous society, humanity is incapable of maintaining freedom, and when the culture becomes so vicious and debauched that we are unable to be civilized, our lack of morality encourages the rise of masters to keep the peace.

The liberty Englishmen historically enjoyed inclined Americans to constitutionalism

Liberty takes effort to be maintained, and the work needs to be performed by individuals who embody the spirit of restraint provided in the United States Constitution. The foundation of our system, after all, is embedded in biblical teachings and the ideas of freedom provided by the Saxons throughout British History, including such documents as the Magna Carta and the Declaration of Rights. The free societies of the English Speaking Peoples found as important cornerstones of their societies the concepts of entertaining a religious, moral, cultural, and social life founded upon principles that assured our rights come from God, that no man (including the king) is above the law, and as a free people we have specific rights to life, liberty and property, as well as the right to protect those rights by any means necessary against not only a criminal element, but against a potentially tyrannical governmental system. The liberty Englishmen historically enjoyed inclined Americans to constitutionalism. A proper constitutional order limiting the central government, while reserving all rights and local issues to the States, and the people, was inspired by Godliness, and a thorough research of history. Moderation, respect for law, and having a moral view of society and culture ensured our system would be successful. Eternal vigilance, however, would always be necessary, for the inclinations of human nature are as a current in a river approaching a great waterfall; unrelenting, merciless, and willing to cause damage without remorse in order to achieve its ends if not properly navigated. It is the statist nature of progressives that poison their message. Believe it or not, progressives in today's American political community hold many of the same virtues as the Founding Fathers did. Like the progressives, the founders believed in helping their fellow man, offering a helping hand as needed, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and finding shelter for the homeless. The difference is that the founders believed this must be achieved through the voluntary decisions of individuals willing to help their fellow man, not through the force of government or the schemes of leveling (redistribution of wealth). Samuel Adams addressed the social issues, saying that "The Utopian schemes of leveling (re-distribution of the wealth) and a community of goods (central ownership of the means of production and distribution), are as visionary and impractical as those which vest all property in the Crown. [These ideas] are arbitrary, despotic, and, in our government, unconstitutional." The Founding Fathers were aware of these big government concepts because they existed in Europe, but also knew that every time these concepts were used by government, the result was always a failed society.

The Founding Fathers considered big government tyranny to be akin to slavery

The Founding Fathers considered big government tyranny to be akin to slavery. Thomas Jefferson said in a letter to James Madison in January of 1787, prior to the commencement of the Constitutional Convention, "I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery." It should be noted that the framers of the Constitution believed the institution of slavery in the United States would be abolished during their lifetimes because of the emergence of a system based on liberty; and though he owned slaves, in his writings Jefferson revealed himself to be a stalwart abolitionist. Genuine morality, the founders believed, is learned from life, and an individual's associations. Therefore, tyrants, to change the political system to one of bondage, must change the culture. Social prejudices must be exploited and the population must be separated into groups and then set against each other. The day to day relationships of Americans becomes disrupted, and people are encouraged to separate into rival groups. The history of America, during its time of prosperity, runs counter to the tribal line of thinking those that support statism are currently pushing on society, so a narrative that attempts to deconstruct American History is in place. We, as a nation, were not created to be a cornucopia of a vast array of different groups, but a melting pot in which we all add our own individual traits into a society that is uniquely American. Combined, Americans are innovative, energetic, and have created a strong and innovative community. People handled local issues personally, privately, or through local government without the need for a strong central government to poke its nose into the situation. The morality of a virtuous society encourages local involvement, self-reliance, and personal responsibility serving as a powerful decentralizing force. Alexis de Tocqueville, after visiting the United States from France in the 1830s, recognized the unique moral character of the United States, where the politicians prayed, and the pastors preached politics, yet due to the demands of a good and moral society, neither controlled the other. In return, the local systems were vibrant and involved, encouraged to work with private organizations and to collaborate to address local needs without any intrusion by the central government in Washington D.C. In fact, De Tocqueville found that Americans had a strong inclination to collaborate and to address their needs within their own groups, and to strongly reject governmental tampering. De Tocqueville was also particularly struck by the active role of the churches. He noted the great reluctance of Americans to part with any authority over their own lives, or to allow any ruling elite any involvement in circumstances that could be taken care of locally, and by the community. America is indeed a great nation, he observed, largely because America is a good and moral nation. The morality of a Christian-Judeo based system fosters cooperation, self-reliance, personal responsibility, self restraint, modesty, respect for the rule of law and a willingness to work together to accomplish what is best for the community without the outside influences of a political class or any intrusion by a ruling elite that believes their agenda is better than the viewpoint of the local population.

Today, the American System is under assault, being fundamentally transformed

Today, the American System is under assault, being fundamentally transformed into something the framers of the Constitution never originally desired. The basic understanding of constitutional principles and philosophies is rare and seen as dangerous by the ruling elite of the secular progressive ideology that now largely dominates American culture and politics. Americans have been convinced that the central government must step in to protect Americans from themselves, that individuals are not smart enough to work together to build a community or maintain peace in that community. Innovation and a free market system is being blamed for the economic failures that have been emerging as a direct result of governmental intrusion, and government is using its influence in education and the media to alter societal opinions regarding morality and the role of government. An increase of power in the hands of the ruling elite is being executed, and the people are accepting the increase of power in the hands of a small ruling minority in the name of modernity, and necessity. Moral tradition has been labeled as being antiquated while the failed system of collectivism is being heralded as the next step in human evolution. The process of turning away from traditional morality is being called liberation, while the the truth is that the consequences of turning away from traditional morality are a road to bondage and servitude to the masters of the ruling elite. The consequences of traditional morals are being shielded from view in an attempt to eliminate them so that the consequences of sinful behavior is no longer seen as enslavement. The reality, however, is that the freedoms of secular immorality are incompatible with a virtuous society, and are actually nothing more than another way to fall into bondage. For example, while sexual freedom seems on the surface a more free life than that of abstinence until marriage, due to the consequences that lead to unwanted pregnancy and the potential of sexually transmitted disease, the members of society that participate in free sex has become more reserved in their sexual ambitions because of the consequences of their actions that includes an ever increasing menu of deadly diseases. The married couple, however, that practiced a Godly strategy of keeping themselves pure until they entered their union with each other, have a sex life that is unencumbered by fear and restrictions ultimately making them more free in their sexual lifestyle. Practicing a moral and religious existence releases the individual from the fears and consequences of an immoral trajectory. No governmental force needs to be involved because a moral existence does not threaten the other people around them. There are no fears of disease, drug overdoses, or unwanted actions by persons acting outside of God's moral guidelines. Progressives reject the concept that human nature dictates that we fall short of God's glory, and only an active pursuit of Godliness keeps us from being our own worst enemies. The leftists believe we have nothing to fear from ourselves, but then when the restrictions of morality are set aside, the eminent degradation of society is blamed on those that stood against society chasing depravity. While believing that humans are naturally good, society under humanistic rule deteriorates, and demands an increase in governmental control to contain the darkness, and force humanity to keep from destroying itself from within. While imagining a utopia where humans can let go of their desire for possessions or competition, the reality is that without the set standards of Godly morals, we are dangerous to ourselves, and incapable of reaching the utopia that has never emerged in history each and every time the statists have tried to reach it.

If we abandon Godliness, we will surely abandon liberty, for without morality, we are incapable of freedom.

When kept inside limitations provided by God, our innovative nature is limitless. While keeping in check our tendencies to be evil, our ability to achieve amazing accomplishments can be fully unleashed. While we can be a greedy species, that desire for a better life can be redirected towards being an incentive encouraging individuals to make society better through individual achievements. We can be artists, philosophers, and inventors, as long as we remain a virtuous society, and we remember that our great gifts do not come from men, but from the Creator of the Universe. Liberty is not the norm in history. Tyranny is. We can only maintain liberty when we are willing to work to ensure liberty is maintained. A virtuous society is the only kind of society willing to do the work of maintaining liberty. A virtuous people are the only kind of people capable of maintaining liberty. Or as John Adams proclaimed, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." If we abandon Godliness, we will surely abandon liberty, for without morality, we are incapable of freedom. The only way to revive American constitutionalism is for Americans to revive traditional morality (which includes us realizing that we must live our lives differently than we are right now), to turn back towards God and turn away from the humanism being presented in our everyday life, and for the people to vote into office leaders that understand the philosophy of limited government contained in the Constitution and that only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. Otherwise, our journey to bondage is unstoppable.


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Douglas V. Gibbs -- Bio and Archives

Douglas V. Gibbs of Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary, has been featured on “Hannity” and “Fox and Friends” on Fox News Channel, and other television shows and networks.  Doug is a Radio Host on KMET 1490-AM on Saturdays with his Constitution Radio program, as well as a longtime podcaster, conservative political activist, writer and commentator.  Doug can be reached at douglasvgibbs [at] yahoo.com or constitutionspeaker [at] yahoo.com.


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