Welcome to the Liberty Insider.
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This is the program that
brings you up today news,
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views, discussion and
all around information
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on Religious Liberty
developments in our world.
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My name is Lincoln Steed,
Editor of the Liberty Magazine.
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And my guest on the
program is Greg Hamilton.
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A good friend and a
guest on this program before.
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And you're the Director of the
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Northwest Religious
Liberty Association.
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The mob. I am from Australia
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you know the mob
are the people, yes.
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It's not bad to be
a mob in Australia.
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Yes. But more and
more on our TV screens,
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we are seeing the mob at play.
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In some ways it's mob rule,
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that displaced rulers in Egypt,
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and on their way to do
the same in Libya and so on.
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How does the mob
relate to the Christian?
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Are we... grow up to be
followers or leaders or,
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how do we respond
to a mob mentality?
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We're called to be leaders,
we are also called be followers.
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It just depends on
how the Lord calls you
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and how the Lord
leads you, we need both.
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But when it comes to
the mob or factionist,
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the way James
Madison referred to it.
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If you go back to
the constitutional,
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constitutional founders.
James Madison's biggest fear,
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Alexandra
Hamilton's biggest fear,
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George Washington
Franklin's, Adams, you name it.
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All the leading
constitutional founders,
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their biggest
fear when they wrote
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the constitution was
the fear of the people.
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Absolutely, even we the people,
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which is the
preamble to the constitution.
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That's why they
instituted a strong central
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or federal government,
along with the ability to have
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state sovereignty of states.
And this is important because,
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that's why they brought
representative government then.
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Yes. rather then
the majoritarian rule.
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So that no one faction would
rule or trump out any other.
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They thought that factions
were actually healthy in a way,
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so that no one could
really out do the other.
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They would check
each other so to speak.
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So, but their
biggest fear was the mob.
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That will the people run a mock
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or what Madison referred to as
the fickle will of the people.
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Yeah. And that's
an important concept
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because when we talk about
the fickle will of the people,
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we have to ask ourselves,
what kind of revolution
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are we talking
about in the Middle East?
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What kind of
revolution maybe brewing
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right here in United
States? Tea Party Movement.
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We could talk about that,
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what is the Tea
Party Movement all about?
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There is an
article by David Brooks
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in The New York
Times. This is what he says
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about the Tea Party. He
wrote this back a year ago
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and here's what he said.
He said, in the near term
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the Tea Party tendency will
dominate the Republican Party,
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it could be the ruin
of the party he says,
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pulling it in an angry direction
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that suburban
voters will not tolerate.
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But he says don't underestimate
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the deep reservoirs
that public discussed.
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If there is a
double depreciation,
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a long period of
stagnation, a fiscal crisis,
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a terrorist attack or some
other major scandal or event.
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The country could demand
total constitutional change,
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the abolishment
of the constitution.
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Now, what does
that signify to us.
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In our last program we
talk about Apocalypse Now.
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Well it proves to me we're
in a revolutionary movement
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even here in the United
States. Yes, and I think
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we have to be careful of
those who call for return
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to the original
intend of the constitution.
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I'm for
returning to the original
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intend of the constitution,
but I find that most people
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who talk about the original
intent of the constitution
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don't know what
they're talking about.
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In fact, those would
hijack the Tea Party Movement.
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People like Newt
Gingrich and Glenn Beck
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and Sarah Palin and
Mike Huckabee and others,
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don't seem to understand when
they call for original intent.
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Newt Gingrich in his
latest book, To Save America:
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Stopping Obama's
Secular-Socialist Machine.
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I mean I can understand
where he's coming from,
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and even
sympathize with it to a point.
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He emphasizes there
that, oh! By the way
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we don't necessarily agree,
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automatic degree that
this is a socialist machine.
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Right, right, right
exactly, I agree with that.
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But he emphasizes is
that the amending process,
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the constitutional
amending process is flawed.
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And he said, because this
supreme court is so messed up,
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so many supreme court decisions
that maybe just maybe we need
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a constitutional
convention. And what will they
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achieve with the
constitution convention,
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when you start
tinkering with the constitution?
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Well, what they intend.
You'll end up rewriting it.
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They intend to rewrite it
along with their etiology.
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Because they have
an etiological view.
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And idea that has to be
historically pure, is flawed.
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Remember the other
day, not too long ago, now,
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the members of the
Congress read the Constitution,
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that was a
pitiful exercise. Oh! Yes.
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First of all, very few
of them seemed aware of it,
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they were
repeating in a meeting.
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They didn't read the
original constitution.
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No. And they emitted some
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on purpose because, yes,
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they're an anachronistic
elements in the constitution.
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Now least of which is slavery,
right the three fifths of
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a person clause. Absolutely.
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So it's not that the
constitution is a bad document
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but it was done
with high ideals.
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Right. And it's been refined
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along the way or at least
its implementation has been
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refined along the way,
to implement those ideals,
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in my view. Well,
I am not quite on the
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living constitution view of some
of the Supreme Court members.
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But we've got to be
careful. And I often say to
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Seventh-day Adventists in
Religious Liberty meetings.
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Remember, the Constitution
is a human document.
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It's not divine,
it's not infallible,
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but it's a wonderful
instrument of its times.
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But in our times,
with the agenda that
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new
congregations have, to go back
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and to try to
recover that original.
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Just means to
project their views back.
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And worse, if they
go back to rewrite it,
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they again will
rewrite it in their image.
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And we have told the
Seventh-day Adventists
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that there is some
prophetic indication,
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that at the end of time
the United States will actually
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either rewrite or
at least the repudiate
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the principals
of its Constitution.
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Populism and,
populism can do that.
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Populism and
demagoguery is becoming
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really fashionable these
days. Glenn Beck for example,
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I mean he's a real
hit, although I understood
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in the latest
polling that young people
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have sort of
dropped away from him.
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Millions of young
people. But Glenn Beck recently
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said that the
Black Robe Regiment.
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He refers to the
Black Robe Regiment as being
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the type of model citizen,
the type of revolutionaries
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as we should be as
Americans. Well, if you go back
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and study who the
Black Robe Regiment were.
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They were your
colonial preachers,
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just prior to the Revolution.
That called for independence
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and a revolution
from their pulpits.
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Mad-ingly, mad-ingly so.
And they did it justifiably.
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But they also in the
end, when it came to the...
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What do you mean by justifiably?
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Well they called for
rebelling against England.
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And they were making a
correct political point
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that it was absolutely
incorrect as ministers of the
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gospel for them
to be doing that.
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And you have written on that,
we have the Liberty Magazine.
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They had in some ways,
that's your article in Liberty.
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They had broken ranks from the
religious revival of the 1750s,
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right, besides
personal spirituality, right.
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And here they
basically jump the rails
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from the religious revival, yes.
To wanting to change the state.
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There was a split
between Jonathan Edwards
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and the more
spiritualistic and gospel based
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religion of John
Calvin, Calvinism.
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To a more radical
form of religion that,
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that sort of rejected some of
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Calvinism and
went on their own way.
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And like Jonathan
Mayhew and others.
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These are the
Black Robe Regiment.
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There were the
liberals of their time.
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And the term was
given, was developed by the
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British as I
remember. They made a comment
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I think writing back to England
you know that there was a
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problem with the
Black Robe Regiment.
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Sort of the auxiliaries of the
revolution for these ministers.
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But my point is,
that Glenn Beck doesn't
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bothered to tell you
there is Black Robe Regiment,
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along with
Patrick Henry in Virginia,
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that opposed the ratifications
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of the constitution.
There was the faith at
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that time yes. Yeah and because
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it didn't have
any mention of God
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or any mention of
Christian nation in it.
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Right, okay and
these very same people
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argued for joining church and
state radically in the 1830s,
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so much so that
James Madison could
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write to Jasper
Adams, a preacher.
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Who advocated for
the constitutionalisation
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of Christianity nationwide.
He says you don't understand,
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you've forgotten
that in the papal system,
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government and
religion are consolidated
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and Madison said
that is the worst
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form of
government there is. Yeah.
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And of course at that
time they were very well aware
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of the old world church
models/the papal system.
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I think today it's hard to even
invoke a truly protestant model
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for thought in the
United States, isn't it?
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No, that's right,
yeah. And Glenn Beck when he,
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I can, I have a
mental picture of that moment
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when he introduced the
idea of the Black Robe Regiment,
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had them lined up
behind him, didn't he?
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Yes. On the DS. Yes.
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And there were some of
them we know there were
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Religious leaders
present day Religious leaders.
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And he says, here is the
present day Black Robe Regiment.
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I will give Glenn Beck
credit for one thing though,
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during that time
in DC, he grabbed
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the mic from David Barton.
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The famous
historical revisionist
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who really doesn't
understand the original
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intent of our nation's founding.
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And David Barton was saying,
we are a Christian nation,
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the founders
intended it to be that way.
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And Glenn Beck grabbed
the microphone from his hand,
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he wouldn't even let
him speak after that.
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And he says no, we are
not, we're a pluralistic nation
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with many
religions. That's good.
00:10:10.63\00:10:11.68
So Beck's not you
know completely off,
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but he, I think he means well
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and I think he's
kind of narcissistic.
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He kind of likes to hear
the sound of his own voice.
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Well, what he's saying,
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and again since
we're speaking well of him.
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Beck and others, many in
society see there's a problem,
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they see that
we've lost our way,
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judicially they might feel
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governmental-y
Spiritually, spiritually.
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There is a moral
malaise in the country,
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yeah, that America's sense of
00:10:39.48\00:10:41.09
best place in the
world. And they're right.
00:10:41.10\00:10:42.14
Yes, and they're
right on that. Yeah.
00:10:42.37\00:10:43.56
Where many people in
this situation get it wrong,
00:10:43.82\00:10:46.99
is the prescription. Yes.
00:10:47.00\00:10:48.42
How do you solve it? Right.
00:10:48.55\00:10:49.85
So, yes, we don't
necessarily disagree with
00:10:49.86\00:10:52.50
Glenn Beck with the
problem that he says.
00:10:52.51\00:10:54.09
But, this, the
Black Robe Regiment
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is not part of
the solution. Yes.
00:10:56.87\00:10:58.46
Wasn't at the
forming of the constitution,
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not now either.
There is a statement
00:11:01.34\00:11:03.96
in the great
controversy by Ellen G. White
00:11:03.97\00:11:06.16
that I think is very
appropriate to this moment.
00:11:06.17\00:11:08.43
She says, in order
for the United States,
00:11:08.73\00:11:10.51
our country to form
an image of the Beast,
00:11:10.52\00:11:12.65
that is the in the likeness
of the Holy Roman Empire
00:11:12.76\00:11:15.09
with the church state
model, where the church dominate
00:11:15.48\00:11:17.58
and control Kings and Empires.
00:11:17.59\00:11:19.23
Now image, this term comes from
00:11:19.24\00:11:21.21
Revelation 13, Revelation 13,
00:11:21.22\00:11:22.79
where it talks
about the beast power
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that persecuted the same, yes.
00:11:25.88\00:11:27.50
For thousands of
years and in the new world
00:11:27.86\00:11:30.92
there would be an
image or a pattern
00:11:31.19\00:11:33.41
established in
the last days. Yes.
00:11:33.42\00:11:35.79
That would bring
about a, what we as
00:11:35.92\00:11:38.31
Seventh-day
Adventists have always
00:11:38.32\00:11:39.32
referred to as a Sunday
law, National Sunday law.
00:11:39.33\00:11:41.23
Here's what he says,
in order for United states
00:11:41.69\00:11:43.32
to form an image of the
Beast, the religious power
00:11:43.33\00:11:46.15
must so control or
the religious powers,
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and I've run this by the
biblical research institute.
00:11:49.77\00:11:52.04
It can be an ecumenical
forming of different churches.
00:11:52.05\00:11:54.75
Because it goes on
to say that in context
00:11:54.76\00:11:57.20
throughout the rest of this
chapter of God's Law Immutable.
00:11:57.21\00:11:59.41
The religious powers must
so control the civil government
00:11:59.86\00:12:02.32
that the authority of
the state will also be
00:12:02.72\00:12:04.20
employed by the church
to accomplish their own end.
00:12:04.21\00:12:05.82
It doesn't say socialists, no,
I am not defending socialists.
00:12:06.14\00:12:09.73
It doesn't say atheists,
00:12:10.15\00:12:11.45
it doesn't say
secular humanists,
00:12:11.76\00:12:13.33
which Glenn Beck
is always harping on.
00:12:13.34\00:12:15.09
Alright, yeah. It
says the religious powers.
00:12:15.39\00:12:17.93
Could it be
that the enemy is us?
00:12:18.29\00:12:20.96
Absolutely. You
know, and not now,
00:12:22.01\00:12:24.07
meaning this, that in the
end the reaction to immorality,
00:12:25.08\00:12:30.55
to Godlessness
will be much stronger
00:12:31.42\00:12:34.10
than the problem
itself. I believe that
00:12:34.73\00:12:37.09
and I think that's a
clear model from history,
00:12:37.10\00:12:39.15
you know, yes, that's
the way it tends to work.
00:12:39.16\00:12:41.78
I like that statement
from Ellen White, it's amazing.
00:12:44.07\00:12:46.67
I wish more people were
reading this book generally,
00:12:46.68\00:12:49.47
Ellen White,
when she wrote this,
00:12:49.88\00:12:51.49
you know was it 120 years ago,
00:12:52.05\00:12:53.90
yes, said that this
should be widely distributed.
00:12:53.91\00:12:56.45
Yes. And around the
Seventh-day Adventist
00:12:56.85\00:12:58.65
members should be
well advised to read
00:12:58.66\00:13:01.19
some of these final
chapters, particular today.
00:13:01.20\00:13:03.83
Because they're
being, they're being
00:13:03.84\00:13:06.04
played out before
our eyes, and of course
00:13:06.27\00:13:07.96
while we
believe that Ellen White
00:13:08.75\00:13:10.00
had divine insight
given to her in writing this.
00:13:11.21\00:13:15.72
I mean it's
absolutely based on the
00:13:15.89\00:13:17.40
biblical prophetic outline.
It just explains it in way
00:13:17.41\00:13:21.56
that is more, well, it's not,
00:13:21.57\00:13:24.11
it was 20th
century when it was written
00:13:24.12\00:13:26.07
but it's contemporary,
but it's happening.
00:13:26.08\00:13:28.51
And I wished
Seventh-day Adventists
00:13:29.29\00:13:31.35
would look at this,
they're inclined to see,
00:13:31.58\00:13:33.52
as you say,
secularism is the enemy
00:13:33.53\00:13:35.51
and the problem and
some of them now, Islam.
00:13:35.52\00:13:38.05
These are all
part of the dynamic
00:13:38.63\00:13:40.23
and they maybe even
catalysts to empower
00:13:40.24\00:13:43.02
the conservative religious
faction or the reaction,
00:13:43.37\00:13:46.16
the conservatives not that Robe.
00:13:46.17\00:13:48.05
A reactionary religious faction,
00:13:48.30\00:13:49.89
that I think
that's how it will happen.
00:13:50.26\00:13:51.93
It's always been
that way in the past.
00:13:51.94\00:13:53.83
Well, and I really
believe that we have to
00:13:54.28\00:13:56.99
make a
distinction when we talk about
00:13:57.00\00:13:58.41
revolution or
mob like mentality.
00:13:58.42\00:14:00.94
We have to ask ourselves,
00:14:01.29\00:14:02.27
which revolutionary
movement are we part of?
00:14:02.68\00:14:04.98
Absolutely. We'll be right back
00:14:05.43\00:14:07.49
after the break to
continue this discussion,
00:14:07.50\00:14:09.61
very
interesting discussion about
00:14:10.26\00:14:11.85
whether we follow the
mob or follow the leader.
00:14:11.86\00:14:15.38
One hundred years, a
long time to do anything
00:14:24.84\00:14:28.34
much less publish a
magazine. But this year,
00:14:28.66\00:14:31.49
Liberty, the
Seventh-day Adventist
00:14:31.83\00:14:33.68
voice of religious
freedom, celebrates 100 years
00:14:33.69\00:14:37.08
of doing what it does
best. Collecting, analyzing
00:14:37.09\00:14:40.49
and reporting the ebb and
flow of religious expression
00:14:40.72\00:14:43.60
around the world.
Issue after issue,
00:14:43.61\00:14:46.44
Liberty has taken on
the tough assignments,
00:14:46.87\00:14:48.97
tracking down
threats to religious freedom
00:14:49.25\00:14:51.29
and exposing the
work of the devil
00:14:51.30\00:14:52.65
in every corner of the globe.
00:14:52.97\00:14:54.59
Governmental
interference, personal attacks,
00:14:55.14\00:14:57.55
corporate assaults,
even religious freedom issues
00:14:57.81\00:15:00.49
sequestered within
the church community
00:15:00.50\00:15:02.08
itself have been
clearly and honestly exposed.
00:15:02.09\00:15:05.19
Liberty exists for one purpose,
to help God's people maintain
00:15:05.83\00:15:10.08
that all important
separation of church and state,
00:15:10.09\00:15:13.02
while recognizing the dangers
inherent in such a struggle.
00:15:13.29\00:15:16.51
During the past
century, Liberty has experienced
00:15:17.30\00:15:19.69
challenges of its own,
but it remains on the job.
00:15:19.70\00:15:22.92
Thanks to the
inspired leadership
00:15:23.40\00:15:24.99
of a long line of
dedicated Adventist editors,
00:15:25.00\00:15:27.36
three of whom
represent almost half of the
00:15:27.80\00:15:29.61
Publication's
existence and the foresight
00:15:29.62\00:15:32.05
of a little
woman from New England.
00:15:32.06\00:15:33.97
One hundred years of struggle,
one hundred years of victories.
00:15:34.38\00:15:38.68
Religious freedom isn't
just about political machines
00:15:38.73\00:15:41.80
and cultural
prejudices. It's about people,
00:15:41.81\00:15:44.91
fighting for the right
to serve the God they love,
00:15:45.50\00:15:48.18
as their hearts and
the Holy Spirit dictate.
00:15:48.44\00:15:51.26
Thanks to the prayers
and generous support of
00:15:51.80\00:15:53.94
Seventh-Day
Adventists everywhere.
00:15:53.95\00:15:55.84
Liberty will
continue to accomplish
00:15:56.21\00:15:58.13
its work of
providing timely information,
00:15:58.14\00:16:00.22
spirit-filled inspiration
and heaven sent encouragement
00:16:00.67\00:16:03.47
to all who long to live
and work in a world bound
00:16:03.70\00:16:07.99
together by the God ordained
bonds of religious freedom.
00:16:08.00\00:16:12.21
Welcome back to
the Liberty Insider.
00:16:22.52\00:16:24.18
Before the break
we were talking about
00:16:24.19\00:16:26.09
mob rule and how that relates
to the American Constitution
00:16:26.44\00:16:29.84
or how the mob
was, was put aside by
00:16:29.85\00:16:35.64
the very foresightful
framers of the constitution.
00:16:36.01\00:16:39.13
But in the Bible, where
do we find the mob dynamic
00:16:39.43\00:16:43.14
illustrated in
the life of Jesus?
00:16:43.15\00:16:44.73
Mark chapter 15, in
regard to Christ's trial
00:16:45.05\00:16:48.42
before Pilate
is very insightful.
00:16:48.43\00:16:50.04
Because it talks
about how the crowd
00:16:50.76\00:16:52.78
demanded in
exchange for Barabbas,
00:16:52.79\00:16:57.46
okay, which was the
custom at that time.
00:16:57.82\00:16:59.83
And they asked
or demanded somewhat
00:17:00.19\00:17:02.58
of Pilate this
exchange, that you've allowed,
00:17:02.59\00:17:05.16
that is custom.
We demand that you
00:17:05.17\00:17:07.72
release Barabbas unto
it. The insurrectionist,
00:17:07.73\00:17:10.91
the one who, the
zealot that wanted
00:17:11.18\00:17:12.90
to basically overthrow Rome.
00:17:12.91\00:17:15.07
Okay, and restore
Zion in their midst.
00:17:15.19\00:17:17.10
And essentially the
people of Israel who follow
00:17:17.34\00:17:20.46
Christ thought
that He would do that,
00:17:20.47\00:17:22.92
that if he was a Messiah
he would drive out Rome from,
00:17:22.93\00:17:25.41
that's the great
irony. I know that.
00:17:25.42\00:17:26.44
Even the disciples followed Him
00:17:26.45\00:17:27.70
on that basis for that
motive, that somehow you know,
00:17:27.71\00:17:30.76
we're on this
grand revolutionary tour.
00:17:30.77\00:17:32.53
He is going to overthrow Rome,
we're gonna establish Zion here,
00:17:33.06\00:17:35.55
we're gonna conquer the world
00:17:35.56\00:17:36.67
and be his right
men in his Kingdom.
00:17:37.13\00:17:39.38
The secretary of
defense, secretary of state,
00:17:39.39\00:17:41.25
chief of staff,
secretary of treasury.
00:17:41.62\00:17:43.22
I mean Judas had
it all figured out,
00:17:43.23\00:17:45.55
but Judas in
the end lost because
00:17:45.91\00:17:48.69
he wanted to try to
force the hand of Christ
00:17:49.15\00:17:51.30
to prove that
he was the Messiah.
00:17:51.31\00:17:52.62
And to do the
things that he expected,
00:17:53.00\00:17:54.83
which was to throw out Rome from
their midst and conquer them.
00:17:54.84\00:17:57.95
But he didn't
fulfill those promises.
00:17:58.28\00:18:00.09
Ultimately Judas
lost because he was not
00:18:00.10\00:18:02.14
spiritually in harmony
with the thinking of Christ.
00:18:02.15\00:18:04.53
He made a huge tactical mistake,
but I would like to think that
00:18:04.89\00:18:07.87
even after trying to force
the hand of Christ like that,
00:18:08.26\00:18:12.91
if he then repented as
Peter did after that denial.
00:18:13.33\00:18:16.58
I don't think it
was beyond for him.
00:18:16.59\00:18:19.08
But he was never spiritually
in harmony with Christ.
00:18:19.62\00:18:22.50
No, but where
I'm going with this
00:18:22.51\00:18:23.73
has very little
to do with Judas,
00:18:23.74\00:18:25.14
when I look at the
trial before Pilate,
00:18:25.15\00:18:27.18
they first of all asked
a question then demanded.
00:18:27.66\00:18:30.23
And then Pilate comes back
with a question of his own.
00:18:30.54\00:18:33.46
And he says do you
want me to released you
00:18:33.92\00:18:35.64
The King of Jews,
knowing it was out of
00:18:35.65\00:18:37.79
envy that the Chief Priests
had handed Jesus over to him.
00:18:37.80\00:18:40.31
And it was the church
or the religious leaders
00:18:41.12\00:18:45.95
who were making
demands of the state.
00:18:45.96\00:18:47.64
Now, mind you this
was an occupying country,
00:18:47.65\00:18:50.70
Rome and
Jerusalem, okay and Israel.
00:18:50.71\00:18:53.71
So the Sanhedrin represented
both church and state,
00:18:54.17\00:18:57.67
because it was
the religious leaders
00:18:57.68\00:18:59.75
were also the
political leaders so to speak,
00:18:59.76\00:19:03.23
that's right from
the Islamic world.
00:19:03.41\00:19:04.95
But they were weaker, they
were the weaker factor here.
00:19:04.96\00:19:08.38
Rome controlled
them and ruled over them.
00:19:08.39\00:19:11.38
So they had to do everything
through Rome essentially.
00:19:11.39\00:19:14.25
And they were not
allowed to execute
00:19:14.26\00:19:16.66
capital punishment right.
But here is this crowd its,
00:19:16.67\00:19:21.69
and many of them were
paid off by the Sanhedrin.
00:19:22.16\00:19:26.25
I did my undergraduate
degree in Communications at
00:19:26.46\00:19:28.93
Portland State
University with a little bit of
00:19:28.94\00:19:30.78
Journalism and Political
Science mingled in there.
00:19:30.79\00:19:33.29
But one of the dynamics is,
00:19:33.74\00:19:36.00
that I studied
was crowd dynamics.
00:19:36.45\00:19:37.93
And in this scene,
the crowd is stirred up
00:19:38.58\00:19:41.90
by the chief priests, okay,
00:19:41.91\00:19:43.70
to not only make demands
but to get louder and louder
00:19:44.38\00:19:47.32
until Pilate
finally gives in. Okay.
00:19:47.80\00:19:50.52
Wanting to satisfy the crowd,
00:19:51.13\00:19:52.29
Pilate released
Barabbas to them.
00:19:52.30\00:19:54.00
And in the midst of
all that they shouted
00:19:54.55\00:19:56.37
crucify him, crucify him,
we have no King but Jesus.
00:19:56.77\00:19:59.48
So the crowd dynamics represents
a certain type of revolution.
00:19:59.98\00:20:03.13
But I've asked myself,
where were the disciples?
00:20:03.68\00:20:05.92
Judas had already hung himself.
Peter denied Christ three times.
00:20:06.27\00:20:09.68
So, was so
sorry for what he did,
00:20:10.38\00:20:12.68
he went and wept and
mourned in Gethsemane.
00:20:12.69\00:20:15.48
Came back and the
garden of Gethsemane.
00:20:15.84\00:20:18.86
And the rest of the
disciples led by John
00:20:19.50\00:20:21.98
were at a
distance viewing the trial.
00:20:22.32\00:20:25.39
And I find that interesting
because what made up the mob,
00:20:26.09\00:20:29.13
Ellen White says
that they were like wild,
00:20:29.49\00:20:31.58
ravening beasts,
bellowing beasts,
00:20:31.87\00:20:34.07
that were like
inspired by Satan.
00:20:34.97\00:20:36.62
They had got caught
up into this revolution.
00:20:36.63\00:20:38.79
Okay. The disciples even though
00:20:39.29\00:20:41.91
they were
confused about the Kingdom,
00:20:41.92\00:20:43.42
and the nature
of Christ's Kingdom
00:20:43.43\00:20:45.11
nevertheless
were being preserved
00:20:45.76\00:20:47.65
for another revolution,
the day of Pentecost.
00:20:48.05\00:20:50.78
The preaching of the
true Kingdom of Christ,
00:20:50.79\00:20:54.74
the preaching of a true Christ,
and not a counterfeit Messiah.
00:20:54.75\00:20:58.14
And this is interesting
because when you look at the
00:20:58.55\00:21:00.62
whole picture
you don't think they
00:21:00.63\00:21:01.99
should have
interjected themselves there.
00:21:02.00\00:21:03.64
No, I don't, because I think
that the Lord was preserving
00:21:04.42\00:21:07.86
them for a especial
time, a especial moment
00:21:07.87\00:21:10.10
to where they wouldn't
be tripping themselves up.
00:21:10.56\00:21:13.34
I think if they had to
expose themselves this time.
00:21:13.35\00:21:15.59
Not only would
they have been arrested,
00:21:15.60\00:21:16.90
in fact that was
their biggest fear
00:21:17.22\00:21:18.19
that they would be arrested.
Okay, because the soldiers
00:21:18.20\00:21:21.34
were looking for them and
so on, but they were hiding out
00:21:21.35\00:21:24.55
in a way that
eventually they went back
00:21:24.56\00:21:26.23
the upper room to hide out.
But they wanted to make sure
00:21:26.24\00:21:30.11
that they
weren't overly exposed.
00:21:30.72\00:21:33.41
And if the Lord
actually led them to do that
00:21:33.63\00:21:35.81
and I think for us,
we have to ask ourselves
00:21:35.82\00:21:38.22
and we are getting caught
up in the Glenn Beck crowd,
00:21:38.23\00:21:40.92
the Newt Gingrich cut
crowd, the Michael Moore,
00:21:40.93\00:21:43.66
the Keith Olbermann
crowd. I say take a snow shovel
00:21:43.67\00:21:47.15
and shove them all
out of your living window,
00:21:47.16\00:21:49.57
our living room windows.
00:21:49.88\00:21:51.07
And shove those
personalities out the door.
00:21:51.34\00:21:53.95
Okay. And insert the big picture
00:21:54.42\00:21:57.58
of the great controversy,
insert Jesus Christ.
00:21:57.59\00:21:59.90
We need to be focused on Jesus
00:22:00.06\00:22:01.86
and not false
charismatic revolutions
00:22:01.87\00:22:04.86
that leave us
down a primrose path.
00:22:04.87\00:22:06.70
You know what
happened, happened in the Bible
00:22:07.23\00:22:09.32
and God clearly
protected those disciples
00:22:09.33\00:22:14.18
the upper and
then they went out.
00:22:14.19\00:22:16.06
But remember after they
came out they are in the temple,
00:22:16.34\00:22:18.92
Peter and John
appeared in very similar thing
00:22:18.93\00:22:21.49
with the
authorities were after them,
00:22:21.50\00:22:24.31
and the crowd could have
easily turned again them,
00:22:24.32\00:22:26.01
but they stood
on their principles
00:22:26.02\00:22:29.09
and neither could touch
them. But you said later on,
00:22:29.10\00:22:32.23
that's important, well.
The Lord was preserving them
00:22:32.24\00:22:35.34
for a certain mission and
ministry at a certain time.
00:22:35.35\00:22:37.66
And I think that
we need to be careful,
00:22:38.26\00:22:39.91
yes, we need to be
active in a ministry today,
00:22:39.92\00:22:41.62
I am not suggesting
we shouldn't be active,
00:22:41.63\00:22:43.14
that's not what I am suggesting.
What I am suggesting is
00:22:43.15\00:22:46.06
that we don't hold on
to our political prejudices
00:22:46.52\00:22:49.99
and make that the
center of our lives,
00:22:50.00\00:22:52.04
absolutely, or
even the gospel itself.
00:22:52.05\00:22:53.82
And that's what I see
happening among Christianity
00:22:53.83\00:22:56.91
and even among our own members.
00:22:56.92\00:22:58.56
We shouldn't repeat
what the crowd is saying.
00:22:58.57\00:23:00.25
Right. But there are
times when the crowd is saying
00:23:00.26\00:23:03.89
something opposite,
whether the crowd is at a
00:23:03.90\00:23:07.66
Glenn Beck rally or perhaps even
within our church environment.
00:23:07.67\00:23:11.24
And even in the religious
environment the majority
00:23:12.30\00:23:14.88
are nearly always wrong,
yes, and I think we have to
00:23:14.89\00:23:18.37
stand for principle
as Ellen White wrote
00:23:18.79\00:23:20.95
and the Bible
makes it very plain.
00:23:21.37\00:23:22.95
We have to stand
up and be counted.
00:23:24.02\00:23:25.34
And sometimes that may appear
00:23:25.64\00:23:27.35
like the crowd
will then turn on us.
00:23:27.36\00:23:28.91
But the crowd
dynamic is very interesting
00:23:29.15\00:23:31.23
and I think if one or
two people had yelled against
00:23:31.59\00:23:34.72
the crowd and stood up.
Pilate would have been felt
00:23:34.73\00:23:36.94
more empowered,
and that moment might
00:23:37.19\00:23:39.11
have been turned back,
even though Christ clearly
00:23:39.12\00:23:41.42
was determined to lose
his. I mean it was determined
00:23:43.31\00:23:47.33
that He would
have to give his life.
00:23:47.34\00:23:48.60
But that moment
didn't have to come up
00:23:49.00\00:23:50.57
the way it was. I
think, I think we can
00:23:50.58\00:23:51.87
get into a false sense of
nationalism like this crowd did
00:23:51.88\00:23:54.67
with the chief priests
and rulers and the mob.
00:23:54.68\00:23:56.99
And that sense of emotionalism,
which I see happening
00:23:57.43\00:24:01.75
in the evangelical world.
That sense of emotionalism
00:24:01.76\00:24:04.94
eventually, I think
will lead to revolution
00:24:05.34\00:24:08.49
or revolutionary aspirations.
Unthinking aspirations,
00:24:08.66\00:24:12.56
we are not thinking about
what they're really doing,
00:24:12.57\00:24:14.67
which is easily manipulated
and controlled by Satan himself.
00:24:15.06\00:24:18.13
Absolutely. And
we need to be true
00:24:18.44\00:24:21.44
to what God wants for us to do
00:24:21.45\00:24:23.12
and back to the
point I was trying to make.
00:24:23.42\00:24:25.07
The crowd,
whether it's our friends,
00:24:25.43\00:24:27.99
whether it's our
fellow church members,
00:24:28.34\00:24:30.72
whether it's our fellow
citizens of any country.
00:24:30.73\00:24:33.30
Will often say something
and repeated among themselves
00:24:33.75\00:24:36.89
which becomes self-free,
reinforcing that point of
00:24:36.90\00:24:40.89
referenced needs to be
God. On Religious Liberty
00:24:40.90\00:24:43.66
it needs to be the principles
that are embodied there.
00:24:43.67\00:24:45.85
And regardless
of what people say,
00:24:46.28\00:24:48.25
we have to stick with
it. Let me give you another
00:24:48.42\00:24:50.27
example of that and mind you,
I'll just state right up front,
00:24:50.28\00:24:53.88
and some people
may not appreciate this
00:24:53.89\00:24:56.44
but I am a
Republican and I will just
00:24:56.45\00:24:58.02
state it right up
front, for very good reasons,
00:24:58.03\00:25:00.80
but this is not a paid
message. Yeah, that's right.
00:25:00.81\00:25:03.46
But I will tell you something
on rights to be whatever
00:25:03.82\00:25:06.35
but on Religious
Liberty and as Church members
00:25:06.36\00:25:08.78
those are secondary
and we are not to advance
00:25:08.79\00:25:12.93
those particular loyalties.
What I was trying to say
00:25:12.94\00:25:15.68
is essentially when you
look at certain events there,
00:25:15.69\00:25:19.18
you cannot just say
that the Republican Party
00:25:19.45\00:25:22.10
or the Democratic
Party are the problem.
00:25:22.11\00:25:23.53
Because, when you
look at labor unions
00:25:23.54\00:25:25.45
these days, I will
give you an example,
00:25:25.46\00:25:27.20
which will talk
about on another program.
00:25:27.54\00:25:29.14
Scott Brown, who was
the guy who took over
00:25:30.60\00:25:32.95
the senate seat of Ted
Kennedy of Massachusetts.
00:25:32.96\00:25:36.43
Was backed by nearly 60% of the
AFL-CIO Unions in Massachusetts.
00:25:36.85\00:25:42.27
Republican, Tea
Party, The Tea Party has gone
00:25:42.96\00:25:45.54
after Labor Union
Members, especially unemployed
00:25:45.55\00:25:47.84
blue collar Labor Union Members.
00:25:48.12\00:25:49.53
In Washington
State, the Olympia,
00:25:50.03\00:25:51.98
I had a situation where
five of the eighteen senators,
00:25:51.99\00:25:55.43
of the eighteen
Republican senators were four,
00:25:55.90\00:25:58.50
forced
unionization bill of all private
00:25:58.51\00:26:01.14
and religious childcare
centers, as well as public,
00:26:02.07\00:26:04.66
state childcare centers.
So, what I am saying is that
00:26:05.06\00:26:08.10
labor unions are
starting to attract
00:26:08.67\00:26:11.07
some Republicans
and... Right the issue is
00:26:11.48\00:26:13.81
labor unions, not
Democrats or Republicans,
00:26:13.82\00:26:15.96
is that what you
are trying to say.
00:26:15.97\00:26:16.94
Now on Religious
Liberty we've had historic stand
00:26:17.20\00:26:21.21
against labor unions not
because we're against labor,
00:26:22.06\00:26:25.35
right, but the dynamic of the
labor union can restrict into.
00:26:25.63\00:26:28.27
Because of the
economy, labor unions are taking
00:26:29.96\00:26:31.76
a really big hit right
now. But what we are looking at
00:26:31.77\00:26:34.93
revolution, we are
talking about revolution here.
00:26:35.28\00:26:38.55
We are talking about a movement
that if we get caught up
00:26:39.12\00:26:43.16
with our own
political prejudices
00:26:43.17\00:26:45.56
and we lose sight of what Jesus
00:26:45.57\00:26:47.39
is trying to
teach us, then we lose.
00:26:47.40\00:26:49.00
As Jesus began
his earthly ministry
00:26:52.39\00:26:54.42
He stood up there as a young man
in the synagogue, in Nazareth,
00:26:54.65\00:26:58.43
read from the
Prophet Azariah, and it says,
00:26:58.91\00:27:00.75
people were impressed.
They heard Him gladly.
00:27:00.84\00:27:04.37
A few minutes later
after he had taken the
00:27:05.75\00:27:08.28
role of a prophet to
himself, they were offended
00:27:08.44\00:27:11.25
and rushed him
toward the edge of a cliff
00:27:11.80\00:27:13.49
and would have killed
him. But he was providentially
00:27:13.50\00:27:15.62
removed from their midst.
It's interesting how quickly
00:27:16.03\00:27:19.15
and easily the mob
or the crowd can change.
00:27:19.16\00:27:22.00
Jesus had stood there
on the mount of blessing,
00:27:22.93\00:27:25.81
given the Sermon on the Mount
and the crowd heard him gladly
00:27:26.61\00:27:30.04
because He spoke with authority.
But some of those same people
00:27:30.05\00:27:33.57
almost certainly were present
there in Pilate's courtyard,
00:27:33.58\00:27:36.70
as he asked the crowd what would
you have me do with the man?
00:27:37.91\00:27:40.87
And they said
crucify him, crucify him.
00:27:41.18\00:27:43.54
We need to be careful that
we don't respond with the crowd.
00:27:44.38\00:27:48.02
The crowd which is
nearly always wrong,
00:27:48.49\00:27:50.57
which moves with the force
that is beyond the individual.
00:27:50.96\00:27:53.50
We need to be
calculatedly Pro-Christ,
00:27:54.01\00:27:57.68
Pro-Religious Liberty,
00:27:58.20\00:27:59.52
Pro-independent
thought for ourselves,
00:27:59.98\00:28:02.98
and serve God
and answer correct.
00:28:03.18\00:28:04.89
For Liberty Insider,
this is Lincoln Steed.
00:28:06.08\00:28:08.77