FrankRep
12-20-2009, 05:10 PM
Cage Match: John Adams vs. Patrick Henry (http://bounddragon.com/?p=546)
Bound Dragon (http://bounddragon.com/)
December 13, 2009
John Adams once said in regards to the newly adopted U.S. Constitution,
“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
He also believed,
“Public virtue cannot exist in a nation without private, and public virtue is the only foundation of republics.”
“A nation as a society forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for his society.”
John Adams punches then consist of
1. The Constitution requires a moral people in order for it to succeed.
2. Public virtue cannot exist without private virtue.
3. Public virtue is the foundation of this republic.
And his knock-out blow:
1. Moral individuals are responsible if their society does not succeed morally and virtuously.
Patrick Henry said in his speech to the Virginia Ratifying Convention on 5 June 1788 in opposition to the U.S. Constitution,
“We are told that we need not fear, because those in power being our Representatives, will not abuse the powers we put in their hands: I am not well versed in history, but I will submit to your recollection, whether liberty has been destroyed most often by licentiousness of the people, or by the tyranny of rulers? I imagine, Sir, you will find the balance on the side of tyranny: happy will you be if you miss the fate of those nations, who, omitting to resist their oppressors, or negligently suffering their liberty to be wrested from them, have groaned under intolerable despostism.” [Emphasis added.]
Patrick Henry’s block and counter-punch, a knock-out blow if its own:
1. Liberty is rarely destroyed for the lack of a moral people, but for the tyranny of its rulers.
The Federalists were so eager to pass their Constitution, that they willingly put the onus of responsibility on the people, so that when it failed it would be the people who were to blame rather than the tyrants themselves. And John Adams, himself a nominal Christian, was one of their chief spokesman to this end.
Patrick Henry, a devout Christian, recognized this twist on responsibility and spoke against it. He either knew his Bible history or judged accurately in accord with it. As can be seen throughout the Scriptures, it is the leader who is judged more harshly than the follower. The wolf in sheep’s clothing is judged more severely than the sheep who follow him. It can also be seen throughout Kings and Chronicles that when the king of Israel or Judah is righteous, the people are righteous; when the king of Israel or Judah is wicked, the people are wicked. The king’s actions are causal, the response of the people the effect.
This can be soon, too, in the story of Jonah. When Jonah preaches to Nineveh of God’s judgment, it is the king of Nineveh who repents first, and the people who follow his lead.
Consider, too, the responsibility of children. If parents teach their children to be dependent on the government, who is to blame when they turn out that way: the parents or children? And what is it that our government continually teaches its children?
This is not to say that individuals do not bear responsibility for their actions, but that our leaders bear greater responsibility than we.
It is impossible to expect individuals to be well-versed in theology, politics, economics, history, child-rearing, education, cooking, cleaning, security, and these in addition to whatever their job might be. This is why we choose people to lead us in these areas: pastors, teachers, political leaders, economists, etc. And it is this which is responsible for the destruction of our liberty: the tyranny of rulers.
John Adams and his Federalist cronies can blame Americans all they want, but Patrick Henry has dealt a knockout blow, 1…2…3…
SOURCE:
http://bounddragon.com/?p=546
Bound Dragon (http://bounddragon.com/)
December 13, 2009
John Adams once said in regards to the newly adopted U.S. Constitution,
“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
He also believed,
“Public virtue cannot exist in a nation without private, and public virtue is the only foundation of republics.”
“A nation as a society forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for his society.”
John Adams punches then consist of
1. The Constitution requires a moral people in order for it to succeed.
2. Public virtue cannot exist without private virtue.
3. Public virtue is the foundation of this republic.
And his knock-out blow:
1. Moral individuals are responsible if their society does not succeed morally and virtuously.
Patrick Henry said in his speech to the Virginia Ratifying Convention on 5 June 1788 in opposition to the U.S. Constitution,
“We are told that we need not fear, because those in power being our Representatives, will not abuse the powers we put in their hands: I am not well versed in history, but I will submit to your recollection, whether liberty has been destroyed most often by licentiousness of the people, or by the tyranny of rulers? I imagine, Sir, you will find the balance on the side of tyranny: happy will you be if you miss the fate of those nations, who, omitting to resist their oppressors, or negligently suffering their liberty to be wrested from them, have groaned under intolerable despostism.” [Emphasis added.]
Patrick Henry’s block and counter-punch, a knock-out blow if its own:
1. Liberty is rarely destroyed for the lack of a moral people, but for the tyranny of its rulers.
The Federalists were so eager to pass their Constitution, that they willingly put the onus of responsibility on the people, so that when it failed it would be the people who were to blame rather than the tyrants themselves. And John Adams, himself a nominal Christian, was one of their chief spokesman to this end.
Patrick Henry, a devout Christian, recognized this twist on responsibility and spoke against it. He either knew his Bible history or judged accurately in accord with it. As can be seen throughout the Scriptures, it is the leader who is judged more harshly than the follower. The wolf in sheep’s clothing is judged more severely than the sheep who follow him. It can also be seen throughout Kings and Chronicles that when the king of Israel or Judah is righteous, the people are righteous; when the king of Israel or Judah is wicked, the people are wicked. The king’s actions are causal, the response of the people the effect.
This can be soon, too, in the story of Jonah. When Jonah preaches to Nineveh of God’s judgment, it is the king of Nineveh who repents first, and the people who follow his lead.
Consider, too, the responsibility of children. If parents teach their children to be dependent on the government, who is to blame when they turn out that way: the parents or children? And what is it that our government continually teaches its children?
This is not to say that individuals do not bear responsibility for their actions, but that our leaders bear greater responsibility than we.
It is impossible to expect individuals to be well-versed in theology, politics, economics, history, child-rearing, education, cooking, cleaning, security, and these in addition to whatever their job might be. This is why we choose people to lead us in these areas: pastors, teachers, political leaders, economists, etc. And it is this which is responsible for the destruction of our liberty: the tyranny of rulers.
John Adams and his Federalist cronies can blame Americans all they want, but Patrick Henry has dealt a knockout blow, 1…2…3…
SOURCE:
http://bounddragon.com/?p=546