Are We Truly Free?
Published on July 4, 2010 By KFC Kickin For Christ In Current Events

For many July 4th is about picnics and fireworks.  It's about family and fun.  It's that, but it's so much more.  It's about freedom and faith.  It's about truth and honor.  Freedom at best is when you're free to do what you were created to do.  Only then are you really set free.  Freedom is not doing what you want to do because that would only result in chaos. There's no such thing as a truly free society. It would be destructive.   Real freedom is doing what you are called to do, what you were made to do. 

It's not about a place or a heritage although that's what we're told.  It doesn't matter where you live or that you're a citizen of this country because there is no such thing as true freedom outside of the one who truly sets us free.  You can think you're free, living in a free country, yet die as a bond servant of sin. 

Our founding fathers got that.  They understood that and went about to set up a country upon the principles of Godly living.  They did the best they could.  Men fought and died to give us freedom to do what we were created to do.  I thank God today for those brave young men and women all across this great country who fought to keep our freedoms.  I thank God today for giving me this great country to live.  I had no choice, no part in that.  It's almighty God who placed me here and I am forever grateful not only to the ones who lost their lives to preserve my freedom but God who watched over it all. 

I thank my God for truly setting me free because it's only when He sets us free spiritually are we truly free indeed.  I thank God that He conquered my soul, invaded the frontier of my life and set me free from the bondage of sin and shame.   Only when that happens are we free to do what we were created to do. 

 

"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion.  Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.  It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." 

John Adams

"I've lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth:  That God governs in the affairs of men.  If a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?  We've been assured in the sacred writings that unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it." 

Ben Franklin

"And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the gift of God?  That they are not to be violated but with His wrath?  Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that His justice cannot sleep forever." 

Thomas Jefferson

"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 to implore His protection and favor."

George Washington

"America needs God more than God needs America.  If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a Nation gone under.

Ronald Reagan

"If the son, therefore, shall make you free,  you shall be free indeed."  

 Jesus

 

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord  Psalm 33:12

 

 


Comments
on Jul 04, 2010

Very nice KFC, much better than my article (shameles plug) on my blog. This is a day to remember that it's more than a BBQ, a day of sales and a day off from work (in this case the following day). It's to remember what it stands for and who made it happen.

on Jul 06, 2010

“This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it”

"Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards; there it enters the roots of the vines, to be changed into wine; a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy."

"But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."

"The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion."

Same people, different speeches.

 

on Jul 06, 2010

Leauki
“This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it”

"Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards; there it enters the roots of the vines, to be changed into wine; a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy."

"But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."

"The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion."

Same people, different speeches.

It would probably be a better comment if you put names with quotes, and in context:

“This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it” - John Adams - Full Quote "Twenty times, in the course of my late reading, have I been on the point of breaking out, 'this would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it!!!!' But in this exclamation, I should have been as fanatical as Bryant or Cleverly. Without religion, this world would be something not fit to be mentioned in public company—I mean hell."

"Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards; there it enters the roots of the vines, to be changed into wine; a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy." - The quote, and its many variants, has been widely attributed to Franklin; however, there has never been an authoritative source for the quote, and research indicates that it is very likely a misquotation of Franklin's words regarding wine:

"But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." - Full Quote: The error seems not sufficiently eradicated, that the operations of the mind, as well as the acts of the body, are subject to the coercion of the laws. . . . The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg . . . reason and free inquiry are the only effectual agents against error. . . . They are the natural enemies of error, and of error only.

"The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion." - This one is often mis-attributed to George Washington.  It was actually uttered by John Adams (see previous quote for context).  The author here, based on position, would indicate another mis-attribution

on Jul 06, 2010

Now you have added to the confusion. I left out the authors' names for a reason.

This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it.

I used this to show that the founding fathers said all sorts of things. The quotes given by KFC were not put into context either. For example, when you read this quote:

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.

Should you take into account that "religious", back then, simply meant  "scrupulously and conscientiously faithful"?

The Franklin quote I listed is the real one. But there exists a misquote based on it, not vice versa.

As for this quote:

The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion.

I thought both John Adams and George Washington were quoting from the US' first (?) foreign treaty, the Treaty of Tripoli.

Now why would the US mention in a treaty the idea that the government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion?

How do you reconcile the "moral and religious people" with "not in any sense"?

It's easy if you read "religious" and "faithful" to the laws and constitution.

 

 

on Jul 06, 2010

You broke this thread in Firefox.  I wonder what the bug is?

I did not comment on KFC's because while there has been a lot of denial of the faith of the founders, careful reading of their works indicates they were at least Theists.  What faith they adhered to may be open for debate, but that they did believe, while denied in some quarters, is not.

on Jul 06, 2010

The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion. I thought both John Adams and George Washington were quoting from the US' first (?) foreign treaty, the Treaty of Tripoli. Now why would the US mention in a treaty the idea that the government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion?

They were appeasing the Musselmen that America was not a Christian nation in the sense it was not Catholic.

on Jul 06, 2010

You broke this thread in Firefox. I wonder what the bug is?

there were issues over the holiday so maybe that's it?  I couldn't access the forums at all for a while there. 

careful reading of their works indicates they were at least Theists.

The problem is nobody is reading their words.  If you read their words, their letters, their books, you'd see they did have faith in God.  Today, many rely on the supposedly "anti-Christian" quotes from those who are pushing a certain agenda.    Many are trying to make the FF say what they want them to say by taking their words out of context. 

If you want the truth, you need to start reading their words, as Dr. Guy points out, in context. 

There's a fairly recent book out there debunking the faith of the founding Father's (can't remember the name but have seen it) but when you go to the back looking for footnotes it had some statement that footnotes are not needed.   And people eat that stuff up like there's no tomorrow.