"We
hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they
are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights..." so said
the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Two hundred and thirty-six years later, I am
not seeing much anecdotal evidence that the citizenry appreciates the
significance of this statement. To the contrary, I have experienced jolting irreverence.
A young man
recently told me that if history did not have any applicable benefits, then
there wasn't any point in studying it. I would agree with him if he had meant
what he said, but he didn't. What he meant was that because he found studying
history tedious and because doing so would not result in a pay raise, he
considered it a waste of his time. He believed that any potential payoff in
insight or wisdom is not worth his investment; there are more efficient ways to
gain understanding. I am thinking that
this guy is an evolutionist. His attitude does not express a biblical worldview
wherein memorials are important so that mistakes will not be repeated.
Then on the
eve of Independence Day, a member of the entertainment press flippantly made a
comment that program schedules were changed because of a "silly"
national holiday. I will be generous and say that perhaps it was an attempt at
levity. Apparently the concept that this "silly" holiday commemorates
the founding of a government that is constitutionally restricted from
interfering with freedom of the press went right over her head; otherwise she'd
have known it wasn't funny. I am
thinking that this reporter is an evolutionist. Her attitude does not respect
the Creator's approach to national feast days.
Worst of all
was the government employee who thought that she knew American history, but proved
that she is as clueless as they come. I am convinced that she is an evolutionist
who has no fear of God. In her mind, the 56 founding fathers signed a
declaration of war. According to her, they had not yet evolved to the level of
being able to "take a time-out" when they became frustrated with
tyranny. (The bulk of the Declaration of Independence is actually a
well-reasoned list of grounds for separation from England.)
Today, the majority
of people trained in America's
public education system believe that evolution is a self-evident truth. Our
founding fathers did not. They believed that men are endowed by their Creator
with certain unalienable rights. Their new government made revolutionary
advancements in human rights and freedoms, but not as a result of holding evolutionary
paradigms. Today, in a morass of circular reasoning, many who are ignorant of
history choose to believe that it was an evolutionary advancement, not a
reclamation of the Creator's endowment.
Years ago when
I made this wreath that I hang near the door during the Memorial Day, Flag Day,
and 4th of July arc of the year, I thought it was simply a cute bit of
folk art. It did not evolve, but was my special creation. It was a very fun and thrifty project because all the parts were free, left over, or recycled from other things. I liked the theme of a down-to-earth farmer rabbit holding a flag. This year it acquired a new symbolism for me: Our national heritage
is being taken over by dumb bunnies. 