These guys were wise

“It is the duty of every man to render to the Creator such homage…Before any man can be considered as a member of Civil Society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe.” (1)

The violent and destructive BLM rioters and Antifa fascist mobs are not members of Civil Society, according to James Madison. Not even they would deny that, I suspect. And their “incivility” can be traced to their dereliction of duty to their Creator. No truly God-fearing man or woman spews hate and destroys innocent lives and livelihoods, as these thuggish, (mostly) young men and women have been.

I’m continuing my series Bless the Nation, relaying the words of our Founding Fathers and others who wisely recognized the necessity of faith and trust in God for securing prosperity and freedom. We are daily witnessing how those treasures are being threatened because of the actions of individuals who have grown up in a time when God has been effectually dethroned as Sovereign over the nation.

Thomas Jefferson, quite likely the only Founding Father honored by the non-God-fearing because of his oft-quoted reference to the “wall of separation between church and state,” also said that religion is:

“Deemed in other countries incompatible with good government and yet proved by our experience to be its best support.” (2)

And that:

“God who gave us life gave us liberty. 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.” (3)

George Washington similarly warned of God’s righteous response if America rejects him and his authority.

“We ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.” (4)

And I’ll end again with wise words from that great statesman and orator of the 19th century, Daniel Webster. Emphases mine.

“Let the religious element in man’s nature be neglected, let him be influenced by no higher motives than low self-interest, and subjected to no stronger restraint than the limits of civil authority, and he becomes the creature of selfish passion or blind fanaticism.

On the other hand, the cultivation of the religious sentiment represses licentiousness…inspires respect for law and order, and gives strength to the whole social fabric, at the same time that it conducts the human soul upward to the Author of its being.” (5)

^{(1) William J. Federer, America’s God and Country: Encyclopedia Of Quotations (St. Louis: Amerisearch, Inc., 2000) p. 410.}

^{(2) Ibid, p. 334.}

^{(3) Ibid, p. 323.}

^{(4) Ibid, p. 157.}

^{(5) Ibid, p. 673..}