Mayflower Maven | August 30, 2013
I have finally figured out in the last few decades of my life why I was so bored in history class growing up.
The reason being, unbeknownst to me, is that American History has been rewritten since the latter part of the 19th Century, due to the introduction of Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution (1859)[1] and its influence in our institutions of higher learning. The change especially came early in the 20th Century when the public school textbooks were rewritten by John Dewey, (1859-1952)[2], a pre-eminent progressive educational theorist of the 20th Century, and Anton Makarenko who wanted to see an end to traditional learning in the United States and make it more “scientific”, humanistic, pragmatic and democratic. By traditional this meant the methodology of book reading and memorization but more importantly the sanitization of its original biblical value system. Just about any meaningful reference to God has been edited out of its foundation. Had John Dewey and his cohorts not crossed the line into Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, our moral compass might not be in such a bad shape like it is today.
The war was on, Traditional vs. Progressive. America’s original foundation is biblical and not conducive to Socialism or atheism. Socialism and atheism began their climb and growth into the United States since the 1830’s, at which time; humanism began to push forward onto the center stage of America and hasn’t stopped since. It has clearly paid off for them because they are now in control of our beloved country and threaten to collapse it into totalitarianism. A series of attempts and successes to get God out of the education and public arena has changed everything in America.
It is in my opinion that what is freely referred to as the “American Dream” nowadays, is only in reference to materialism, which is only the by-product of the original American dream. The original American dream began in 1620 with the arrival of the Pilgrims at Plymouth. Their purpose and intentions are clearly stated in the Mayflower Compact, which, in my view, is the original Constitution that states the vision and mission of those early settlers and of what later became the United States of America. Here is the text, judge for yourself:
“In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, etc.
Having undertaken for the Glory of God and advancement of the Christian Faith and Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the First Colony in the Northern Parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one of another, Covenant and Combine ourselves together in a Civil Body Politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute and frame such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the Colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witness whereof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cape Cod, the 11th of November, in the year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King James, of England, France and Ireland the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini 1620.”[3]
The Geneva Bible, which includes annotations from 16th Century reformers, and the statutes of the Mayflower Compact, emphasizing self-government as the main driving force for peoples’ actions and endeavors in business and otherwise, is what governed the early settlers and colonists for 156 years until the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Preaching, teaching and emphasizing personal accountability before God and loving your neighbor as yourself was the main governing system during which caused the colonies to thrive in a very short time and grew immensely achieving heights in education, business and prosperity equal to nations long before established. The early settlers and colonists were not perfect but it was the general consensus that people should hold themselves accountable to God to whom they would have to render a justifiable explanation for their every action here on earth. They also established a small, local system of government to punish crime, which they did so swiftly once the perpetrator was proven guilty. The church pulpits and society in general drove home the concept that if people did not respect God, the Righteous Judge, they would certainly not respect their fellowmen.
No matter how people aggressively attack the original foundation of the United States of America, they will never succeed to completely eradicate it. He who guards truth is always vigilant over it and sees to it that it always resurfaces. Our original American Dream of respecting God and applying His statutes in all aspects of personal, family, business and community living, for the most part, has been lost for a season of over one hundred years, but it has never completely died and is now resurfacing once again on the American scene. People have been awakened and are hungering for the original foundation that gave this country its greatness, the Bible. Many do not know it is the Bible they are hungering for but ultimately that is where the foundation and success of early America is found.
One of the first acts of Congress in 1782, was to commission a publishing of the Bible to make it easily accessible to all people in America.[4] So never believe the popular so-called “Separation of Church and State” lie. Although it was the same governing body that prohibited prayer and Bible reading in public schools in 1962-1963, and caused the neglect to this all-important fact in our history, it will never succeed at erasing the true spiritual heritage of this country and God’s people because humans cannot kill God and His Word, an incredible gift to humanity for all ages. Let us boldly reclaim our original American dream.
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my word will never pass away.” (Mark 13:31)