By Jim Mettenbrink
Although we tout the USA is the land of liberty, in recent years liberty has been redefined or we have a misunderstanding of what constitutes liberty. Examples are the liberties of speech and religion. The first universities in the USA were established by not only believers in God, but those who revered Jesus of Nazareth as the Lord and Savior of mankind. Harvard was established in 1636 to train ministers in biblical faith. Harvard’s motto became “Truth for Christ and the Church” (1692). As was typical of the genuine university environment, Harvard’s was one of open discourse, honoring the free expression of opposing views. Through time, Harvard changed its motto to “Truth” (eliminating Christ and the church). The university environment has been increasingly atheistic and more and more void of open discourse. Some 15 years ago, a biology professor informed a close friend, that in order to get along in the scientific community, you must give up the premise that our origin was via creation by the eternal God of heaven. That statement indicates the closed mind of the university – discourse not allowed about our origin by God.
Increasingly for a century, the USA has drifted far from God and His standard of conduct in every realm of life. The populous even hesitates to discuss God. School children are chastised for wearing a T-shirt or mask with the phrase Jesus loves me. As apologist for Christianity, Erwin Lutzer declared, “Many Christians will not be talked out of their faith, but they will be mocked out of it” (We will not be Silenced, 2020; p121). Perhaps that reveals that most who claim to be Christians are so in name only (no deep commitment or genuine faith according to the New Testament).
In order for the nation to be pulled out of its slide into depravity, it will require a radical change. First, that begins with true personal faith in God and the commitment to obey Him according to the Bible. That commitment is not made on paper but in the depths of one’s spirit. Committed theists, yea especially Christians, will endure the ridicule of cancel culture, which is a necessary tool of Marxism.
Marxist Herbert Marcuse (“Father of the New Left”; professor at Harvard & Brandeis, 1960s) wrote, “Suppression of the regressive one [policies and opinions] is a prerequisite for the strengthening of the of progressive ones.” (Repressive Tolerance, 1965). In today’s world that is the cancel culture to advance Marxism (socialism). And that requires canceling God, Christians, and the Bible.
So to restore the eroded foundation to establish a nation of real tolerance and liberty requires theists to have an unwavering commitment to God in the depths of their spirit. Because they were preaching the truth about Jesus, His apostles had been beaten and imprisoned by the Jewish supreme court. When the court demanded they stop preaching (Jewish cancel culture), Peter retorted, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Restoring the foundation begins with that attitude – an unwavering commitment to God and His way!