WILL THAULT: ‘Cancel culture’ is new in name only

“Our society strives to avoid any possibility of offending anyone – except God.”

– Billy Graham

Once upon a time, the mainstream media and institutions of higher learning led us to believe we were a nation of laws, established by representatives of the people. That was then, this is now.

Absolute interpretation of the law has given way to relativism. Meaning, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, “that conceptions of truth and moral values are not absolute but are relative to the persons or groups holding them.” So much for “Blind Justice of the Law.”

In order to throw in a little revisionist thinking to boot, they go on to say that our Founding Fathers created the Constitution in order to protect our freedom from religion, not freedom of religion. That bit of wordplay can quickly be put to rest by actually reading the First Amendment. The time-honored concept of critical thinking in most of our schools today has been replaced with mandated “truth” doctrines, including a claim that the framers of the Constitution were nothing more than an immoral group of privileged opportunists solely seeking personal gain.

Posing as institutions of higher learning, these re-education camps have been force feeding their misguided ideas into young minds for years, in concert with the cynical half-truths of revisionist scholars, journalists and modern-day historians. For argument’s sake and in the spirit of the lost art of critical thinking, I respectfully submit proof of a “higher” motive for our Founding Fathers — attested by their own words. First, let’s start with the Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776: “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, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Patrick Henry, ratifier of the U.S. Constitution: “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.” – The Trumpet Voice of Freedom: Patrick Henry of Virginia, p. iii.

Benjamin Franklin, signer of the Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution: “We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that ‘except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it.’ I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel.” – Statement made at the Constitutional Convention June 28, 1787.

George Washington, first U.S. President: “It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge to Providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and to humbly implore His protection and favor.” – George Washington, Oct. 3, 1789 Proclaiming a National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving.

John Adams second U.S. President and signer of the Declaration of Independence: “Suppose a nation in some distant Region should take the Bible for their only law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God … What a Eutopia, what a Paradise would this region be.” — Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, Vol. III, p. 9.

John Quincy Adams, sixth U.S. President and eldest Son of John Adams: “The highest glory of the American Revolution was this; it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity. – July 4, 1821

James Madison, 4th U.S. President: “Religion is the basis and Foundation of Government.” – June 20, 1785

Alexander Hamilton, co-author of “The Federalist Papers”: “For my own part, I sincerely esteem it a system which without the finger of God, never could have been suggested and agreed upon by such a diversity of interests.” – Spoken shortly after the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

John Jay, first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and President of the American Bible Society: “By conveying the Bible to people thus circumstanced, we certainly do them a most interesting kindness. We thereby enable them to learn that man was originally created and placed in a state of happiness, but, becoming disobedient, was subjected to the degradation and evils which he and his posterity have since experienced.” – In God We Trust – The Religious Beliefs and Ideas of the American Founding Fathers, p. 379).

John Hancock, first signer of the Declaration of Independence: “Resistance to tyranny becomes the Christian and social duty of each individual. … Continue steadfast and, with a proper sense of your dependence on God, nobly defend those rights which heaven gave, and no man ought to take from us.” – History of the United States of America. Vol. II, p. 229.

Thomas Jefferson, third U.S. President, drafter and signer of the Declaration of Independence: “I am a real Christian – that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus Christ.” – The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, p. 385.

Revisionist-seeking secularists’ opinions notwithstanding, Jefferson and his peers had no doubt that the foundation of this new nation was solidly built upon the people’s conviction that the attainment of our liberty was a gift of God. They sincerely believed that scorning this sacred debt would not be without its consequences. Those of us who cherish liberty and are mindful of this holy trust in God must stand strong for what we know is right.

The potent foe of American liberties and freedom today is the newly formed “cancel culture movement,” a toxic pressure cooker’s brew of group-shaming and fear-mongering. They effectively counter the reality of our heritage through the anarchy and destruction of America’s symbols and beliefs, both literally and figuratively.

The terminology is new, but the bullying tactics are not. On May 10, 1933, encouraged by Hitler’s newly empowered Nazi Party, college students in 34 university towns across Germany and Austria burned more than 25,000 books. Five years later, the homes and businesses of innocent people were terrorized by thugs during Kristallnacht, while the German government stood by, doing nothing to stop it. From 1966 through 1976, Chairman Mao and his “Gang of Four,” launched a sociopolitical movement in China to purge what was left of capitalist and traditional elements of Chinese society (three examples of cancel culture long before the name was ever invented).

One wonders if our present-day high school graduates have even been taught about these dark moments in recent history. We’ve all heard the old common expression, “Those who ignore history are bound (or doomed) to repeat it.” In this case, at least one or more of our younger generations didn’t ignore it, they simply weren’t taught it.

In 2001, ancient statues that had stood for millennia were deemed idolatrous and ordered destroyed. The Taliban obliterated these giant stone images of the Buddha in central Afghanistan, using dynamite, anti-tank mines, anti-aircraft guns and artillery. Beginning in 2015, Islamic State militants razed ancient structures in the historic city of Palmyra in Syria, as well as churches, monasteries, religious statues and even mosques and shrines in Northern Iraq.

While unimaginable that such outrages could happen in America, sadly, they’ve already begun. Starting with Confederate statues, activist protesters quickly began targeting for destruction monuments and landmarks honoring our Founding Fathers, as well as churches and religious icons. Fortunately, we have a representative form of government designed to protect us from anarchy and lawlessness such as this. The only problem is that the system has yet to muster the will to provide the safety and protection of all Americans “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” “To peacefully assemble” is among those unalienable Rights put forth by the First Amendment, but anarchy, rioting, looting, vigilantism and willful destruction of life and property are not – in this or any civilized society.

Reasonable minds know the difference and reasonable minds may once again prevail, so long as God still wills it.