Battling Philosophies for America

TNG Radio, where today's culture and timeless truths come together. It's reasoned relevant content apologetics, worldview, and answers to the questions that you need to know. From Alex McFarland Ministries, this is Truth for a New Generation Radio.

And now the man who preached in 50 states in 50 days, speaker, writer, and advocate for Christian apologetics, Dr. Alex McFarland. The Mississippi River is a very famous part of American life, and everybody knows it goes down to the Gulf of Mexico. All of the little rivers and tributaries that make up the mighty Mississippi, it's a little bit like government and politics today, and even spiritual issues, that people reach their conclusions through a variety of different avenues. But regarding the Mississippi, there was a man named Henry Schoolcraft, and he discovered the true source of the Mississippi in Minnesota, really, and he named this tiny stream and a little pond Itasca. And so what he did was he took two Latin words, veritas kaput, which means true head.

So I-T-A-S, etas, and then S-E-A from kaput, and he came up with Itasca. And he called that the true head of the Mississippi River. And this lake is up there to this day. And this tiny little pond really goes into streams, and it goes down through places like Devil's Lake, Leech Lake, Lake of the Woods.

There's a little bit of contribution from Lake Superior, and ultimately the Mississippi River in places a mile wide, and then it finally empties into the mighty, immeasurably huge Gulf of Mexico. Now, I think about that in relation to our nation. The founders read from a lot of sources. The main source, as we've talked about many times in the program, was the Bible, more than 3,000 times. In fact, it's been documented that 3,154 times the founding fathers directly verbatim quote or allude to the Bible. And the Bible is, whether people really realize it or not, the Bible is the book upon which our country was founded. And that's what's made America exceptional. Now, in my book, Ten Issues That Divide Christians, I write extensively about American exceptionalism. And my new book that just came out a few weeks ago, The Assault on America, How to Defend Our Nation Before It's Too Late, I talk at length about American exceptionalism. Now, a majority of evangelical Christians say that religious freedom is what makes America great. According to a study released from the Barna Research Group, though the idea of American exceptionalism isn't a recent invention, we've heard a lot lately from President Trump and his supporters about quote, making America great again. And many people have sarcastically said America never was great.

I disagree. I think that this country has been second only to Israel under King Solomon in terms of its greatness, godliness, opportunity, stability, and the creation of wealth and the way in which America gives people the opportunity to do things and pursue their destiny and to pursue their own skills and abilities and not be a part of some caste system. America in her prime, and I believe that it's possible to reclaim that prime. It's going to take turning to God.

It's going to take repentance and humility and prayer and intercession before God. But I think it's possible for America's greatness and her exceptionalism to be harnessed again. But what exactly do people believe makes America great? 53% of evangelicals said that they viewed religious freedom as the key quality that makes this country great. On average, however, only about 20% of Americans hold this view.

So, as the cultural influence of millennials and those younger continues to grow, freedom of religious expression will more and more be seen as a negative reality of American life. Now, this relates to the Mississippi River illustration because while the Bible, let's call the Bible the Gulf of Mexico, this huge repository of truth. And then let's call the church, or maybe your Christian upbringing, the Mississippi River. But then there are all sorts of small influences. Now, of the tributaries that flow into the Mississippi, some are pure spring water.

Others are runoff from factories, even like from the Ohio River, and they contain mercury and toxins. We all are an amalgam of the influences that are all around us. And that's why it's so important we talk about this on the program on the Truth for New Generation radio shows and in all of our conferences. And Lord knows, in 18 books and hundreds of articles, I've talked endlessly about scriptural authority.

Friend, you must make the Bible, the Word of God, your authority. Because there are things like media that is a combination of some truth, much spin, and many falsehoods. There is secular education that is overwhelmingly driven by philosophies like relativism, the idea that there is no truth, we make our own truth. Pluralism, all ideas are equally valid. Hedonism, the highest goal of life is pleasure. Situationalism, when I'm living my hedonistic, pleasure-driven life and a problem comes along, like an unplanned pregnancy.

Situationalism and relativistic progressive case losses, well I can abort the baby. What makes America exceptional also is the way in which such a not only qualified, brilliant group of men came together to write our founding documents and craft our constitution. It was a unique grouping of incredibly literate, qualified, and I would say godly individuals. And they crafted the greatest constitution, second only to Israel living under the Torah and the Word of God, second only to Israel living under God's Word, America living under a biblically influenced constitution. This is part of what has made America great. Now, I want to come back in a moment and I want to talk about the distinction between freedom of religion and freedom of religious expression. And I want to talk about why we must, we must preserve this constitutional republic of principled capitalism and representative government based on a Judeo-Christian worldview. I talk about this in my book, The Assault on America, a book I would beg of you to read, especially before this next election.

But we'll continue this discussion and more when Truth for a New Generation returns. America today is like a patient struggling to live, yet is being forcibly euthanized by her, quote, doctors. The life force within the patient fighting for survival is the honest citizens like yourself.

The team of, quote, caregivers are the local and national leaders actually contributing to the demise of the patient. The economy is crashing. Crime is exploding. The Constitution is being abolished. The assault on America, how to defend our nation before it's too late by Alex McFarland has one single purpose, to get you prepared.

Learn the real source of America's current problems that no one else is talking about and what you can do now to face tomorrow, regardless of what tomorrow brings. The Assault on America, how to defend our nation before it's too late available now at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and local Christian bookstores. You know, Alex has been writing for many years and one of his classic books is still great today as a basic introduction to the Christian faith. It's called Stand Core Truths You Must Know for an Unshakeable Faith. This book will help you help your teens get off the roller coaster of doubt and onto solid ground. You'll read about the six pillars of biblical Christianity. They are one, inspiration of the Bible, two, the virgin birth, three, the deity of Christ, four, atonement, five, Christ's resurrection and six, Christ's return. You know, Alex mixes it up with humor and stories he gleaned from decades of working with youth and encourages teens to build a foundation of faith that will stabilize their lives and help them take a stand for Christ. Simple and straightforward, Stand Core Truths You Must Know for an Unshakeable Faith, available wherever Christian books are sold. For apologetics resources, books by Alex McFarland, and to find out where Alex is speaking, visit alexmcfarland.com. Welcome back to the program.

Alex McFarland here. We're talking about the philosophies that made our nation. And I want to contrast those with some of the philosophies present in the world today. And I want to encourage you to vote. And as Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty says, vote godly.

Yes, vote godly. The founders of the country met. And as we've talked about many times, they prayed and they crafted our Constitution.

And we've had this incredibly great nation. Well, a cornerstone of the nation they envisioned was a nation where they could have, quote, freedom of religious expression. Now, in the 2016 campaign, then candidate Hillary Clinton would frequently talk about freedom of worship.

Be careful, folks. Freedom of worship is really leftist code speak to mean that in the quietness of your mind, you can believe whatever you want to believe. But you just can't openly talk about it. No, the founders did not face Britain's muskets and navy and guns and fight and die to give you freedom of worship. They fought to defend your God-ordained right of freedom of religious expression. Now, again, of my generation, baby boomers and older and really even younger than boomers, Gen Xers, religious expression is a positive thing. But among millennials and younger, freedom of religious expression is seen as a negative thing.

Why? Because they've been told in public schools that to call something sinful is to shame somebody or to engage in hate speech. Now, we know that the truth will prevail. Matthew 24, 35, Jesus said that heaven and earth would pass away, but my words will never pass away.

We know the word of God will stand forever. But even within schools and colleges that were founded as historically Christian, quote unquote, a liberal arts education has largely been exchanged for a liberal agenda. And it really is tragic because the effect they've had on young people, millennials and younger, has been to skew them leftward and tolerance, which really means that anything and everything goes. Tolerance, I would say, friend, has become the golden calf that people are really being coerced to bow before in American life. And we're to the point that really any rational discussion, critical thinking, and voices of dissent are almost off limits on topics like this global warming, sexual orientation, abortion, the nature of morality, capitalism versus socialism, certainly American exceptionalism, diversity, Islam, terrorism. The fabric of our nation is really at stake due to the influence of progressivism, leftist ideas, and certainly the way that young people have been, even Christian young people, have been just conditioned, almost programmed to have leftist positions on these things, the family, marriage, global warming. And so let's talk about some of these issues.

And let me emphasize why it is imperative, imperative, critical, urgent, that you pray that you be registered and that you vote. And if you listen to our shows and our podcasts, you probably know that I stand for our president, President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, who, by the way, did a masterful job in his debate with Kamala Harris just this week. And I want to talk about that in a little bit. But let me read a quote by Joe Biden. When asked about religious freedom, candidate Biden quickly spun the question about religious freedom to protection of LGBTQ rights. Joe Biden was asked about religious freedom. Here's what he said, quote, religious freedom is a fundamental American value, but states have inappropriately used broad exemptions to allow businesses, medical providers, social service agencies, state and local governments to discriminate against LGBTQ trans people, end of quote. Now, what that mouthful of verbiage means is the left and Biden and Kamala Harris, they will give lip service to the idea of religious freedom.

But your religious freedom does not extend to the point that you are legally allowed to stand where God's word stands. And let me be very clear, folks. Does God love people?

Yes. He sent his son Jesus to die for the sins of people. But God will not be mocked. And all of the PR, all of the spin, all of the social media noise and all of the Hollywood celebrities that come out in solidarity for diversity, none of that will ever change the word of God. And in Old and New Testaments, the word of God says that homosexuality is a sin. In the beginning, God made man male and female created he them Genesis 127.

There is no such thing as transgenderism. There are males and females and God's design for human sexuality, marriage, family, childbearing is heterosexual monogamy. Now, God is gracious. God forgives and God heals and God restores. But the answer to a broken, fallen, wounded world is not to try to say that God's word has declassified certain sins and God's word has been changed or or social pressure of the 21st century is somehow able to mitigate against God's word. No, the religious freedom as understood by Biden and the left means that you can believe whatever crazy idea you want to believe because they think the idea that God is real, the Bible is true and Christ alone is the Savior.

They think that's ludicrous. But preachers, churches, Christian schools, Christian business owners are being given an ultimatum. Either you get in line with the politically correct, diverse, liberal worldview or you'll be financially persecuted, persecuted, punished, charged with hate crimes. Donald Trump said, quote, our founders understood that no right is more fundamental to a peaceful, prosperous and virtuous society than the right to follow one's religious convictions. Now, when we come back, I'm going to talk about how we understand one's religious convictions in light of the philosophical foundation on which our nation stands, natural law.

Stay tuned. Truth for a New Generation with Alex McFarland is back in just a moment. Christians don't necessarily agree with one another when it comes to questions of religious pluralism, homosexuality, the role of government, abortion and war. Too often we manage these disagreements by ignoring them. Yet we're called to engage the world for the sake of Christ. How can we be effective if we avoid society's most pressing questions in 10 issues that divide Christians? Alex McFarland challenges us to drill down to the biblical core of 10 current issues such as social justice, evil and suffering, pornography and environmentalism. As he echoes the biblical invitation, come, let us reason together Only by engaging the scriptures deeply, thinking clearly and speaking truthfully, can we and God's family address our differences and discover the peace that comes with unity of purpose. 10 issues that divide Christians.

Find this book and many others at AlexMcFarland.com. America today is like a patient struggling to live, yet is being forcibly euthanized by her, quote, doctors. The life force within the patient fighting for survival is the honest citizens like yourself.

The team of, quote, caregivers are the local and national leaders actually contributing to the demise of the patient. The economy is crashing. Crime is exploding. The Constitution is being abolished. The assault on America, how to defend our nation before it's too late by Alex McFarland, has one single purpose to get you prepared. Learn the real source of America's current problems that no one else is talking about and what you can do now to face tomorrow, regardless of what tomorrow brings.

The assault on America, how to defend our nation before it's too late. Available now at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and local Christian bookstores. In the midst of a culture obsessed with relativism, Alex McFarland is a voice you can trust to speak the timeless truths of Christianity in a timely way. You're listening to Truth for a New Generation radio. God bless you. Welcome back to Truth for a New Generation.

It's such an honor to spend a few moments together. Alex McFarland here. And before we continue talking about why it's important that our nation retain its Judeo-Christian foundation and the philosophies that are battling not only for the future of the country but really for the souls and minds of each individual person, I want to encourage you to please read my new book, The Assault on America. It's available everywhere online. It's available at Barnes and Noble, everywhere in America. I didn't make a penny off of this book.

I don't want to. I wrote this book for zero compensation because I felt like I just had to talk about God and country. And in The Assault on America, I talk about what's at stake in this future election. But I go in great length to talk about the founders and their belief in what was called natural law. Now, basically, the founders, one of the people that most influenced them was a man named John Locke. And Locke was a man who wrote on Locke. And Locke believed that the law of God was written on the heart of all people.

That it is in the best interest of any country to talk about the moral law written on every heart. Now, you know the New Testament talks about the Gentiles that didn't have the law of God, by nature did the things prescribed by the law of God. Now, unto the Jews were committed the oracles of God. They had the special revelation of God's word.

The Bible says salvation is of the Jews, meaning that when God raised up Abraham and said, Abraham, through you all the families of the earth would be blessed, that it was through the line of Abraham that Jesus was born, the Savior came, and we have the Word of God and the Son of God, thanks to the work of God, through the people of God, the Jewish people. But even the Gentiles that didn't have the law of God written had the moral code written on their heart. That's why the Bible says man is without excuse, because deep down we do know right from wrong. I want to say this, Kamala Harris, that has sponsored bills and has defended abortion on demand, Kamala Harris knows that abortion is wrong. Abortion and the right to kill an unborn baby is the sacrament for the Democrat party. But I want to say this, they know it's wrong. Natural law says that human life is sacred, and people know this despite all the posturing, despite all the spin and the discussion, and the attempted legitimization of the murder of the unborn.

Now as James Dobson said during that wonderful prayer event a couple of weeks ago in Washington, the return, and he said since 1973, 62 million babies have been aborted. Friend, I've got to believe God cares about that. Part of the reason we're having the troubles that we're having is because of our abandonment of natural law and our willingness to countenance and even defend and some even celebrate things that the word of God calls abominable.

Not only the word of God but the law written on everybody's heart. As a pastor I've counseled hundreds of people and we've had people email and call. I've had many people that have wanted to talk about how to get out of homosexuality, and they feel self-loathing. They feel great conviction. They feel guilt for what they're doing to their bodies and with their bodies. I tell people, look, conviction is a wonderful ministry of the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit of God is beckoning you to abandon your sin and turn to Christ for life and forgiveness and salvation, conviction is not a bad thing.

Conviction is a good thing. It's just like when you feel bad and you know you need to go to the doctor. Well, when you feel guilt, you need to go to Dr. Jesus. But yet our culture is trying to lead people to believe that there's no such thing as sin, there's no such thing as wrong, there's no such thing as moral guilt from which we need to repent. And besides weakening our country, it's ultimately contributing to the damnation of millions of souls.

Let me talk about this and I want to talk about why you need to vote. If you were to ask people today what's wrong with our country and what would it take to fix it, you'd get a variety of answers. But think about the list of modern violations against spiritual convictions deeply held by our nation's founders.

And I would say probably known by people if they were honest about what was in their heart. The prohibiting of the reading of scripture in public schools. That was a 1962 Supreme Court decision. Prohibiting prayer in public schools, 1963 SCOTUS decision. Prohibiting manger scenes and religious displays in public areas. Prohibiting the posting of the Ten Commandments in schools and public buildings, which is just counter to our basic philosophical DNA. Prohibiting the teaching of creation in public schools alongside the teaching of evolution.

Giving equal time not to the gospel of Jesus but just to the idea that there's a creator. The legalizing of abortion. The taking of unborn human life. Roe vs Wade, 1973. The legalization of same-sex marriage, so-called. That was the June 2015 SCOTUS decision. And then the granting of ethnic status to transgender behavior. The June 2020 SCOTUS decision.

And the sudden attempted legitimization or the mainstreaming of gay and transgender behavior runs counter to human biology, to scripture, to common sense, and to the advice of mental health professionals in literally thousands of years of legal precedent. And friend, the COVID quarantines, political correctness, the lockdowns, the threats by Biden and Harris of national mask mandates, and Biden said he would, quote, shut down the country. So much hangs in the balance. So much literally does hang in the balance. That's why you need to vote. That's why you need to vote. I think about Chief Justice John Jay, the first U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice.

He lived 1745 to 1829. He said, Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers. End of quote. Well, the Bible says when the righteous rule, people rejoice. When the wicked rule, people groan.

That's Proverbs 29 92. So, folks, let me encourage you. Please read my book, The Assault on America.

Please pray for America. Please influence others. That's 877-YES-GOD and the number one or give online at AlexMcFarland.com. While you're there, listen to program archives, read Alex's blog, invite Alex to speak at your event or contact Alex with a question or comment. AlexMcFarland.com. Thanks for listening today and join us again next time as we bring you more truth for a new generation on TNG radio.