The American Way of Life (Part 9 of 28)

Part 9: of a 28-part series

Now, in 1776 the world was more imperfect than it is today. Do you understand? This idea has diffused to 350 million in this country. There were only 3 million then. We have grown in this idea for 200 years.  It’s a new idea to earth, and it’s being spread across the oceans and seas, little by little. It is truth, and it’s going to grow very gradually. It can’t be done by force. But it’s leaking, it’s going out, and it’s embracing more and more of the earth than it did in 1776. Only 1/3 of those people truly held to separation and independence. One million only, out of 3 million. And yet it was sufficient to affect a nation such as ours.

They knew that they would not see in their lifetime the perfection of this idea. They looked to the next generation, that it might begin with them and progress forward, with all the struggles that it would entail, with all the hiccups, the bumps, the squeaks, that it takes to advance such an idea when it’s not believed — when a Creator is not believed in — when a Creator who’s wise, just, and perfect is not believed in — when the equality of men, women, and children are not believed in. And yet, it’s growing — progressively, not without struggle.

[There are] types of perfection that were brought into the world by Christianity. These are Christian ideas. Just hang onto that for a minute. [This is the] series of thought that fought the battles of the Revolution, to build a worthy superstructure of government and law. We didn’t have a national government. They decided they were going to build a Constitution that was going to reflect this idea. That’s incredible. We structured our political system so that this idea would be the best, and not hinder men should they believe in it. It provided for the results of attempting to look not to the past, but to the future.

To be continued…

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