October 27, 2010 – Liberty University – Lynchburg, VA
Thank you Chancellor Falwell for that generous introduction. It is a great honor to address this Liberty University Convocation. Please allow me to introduce my wife Callista. We are both delighted to be here.
When Reverend Jerry Falwell, Sr. founded Liberty University in 1971 he set a goal of enrolling 50,000 students and building "the greatest Christian school in the world." In April, 2010 Liberty University exceeded his goal when total enrollment passed 50,000. Today Liberty has 12,200 in residential enrollment and 50,000 more students enrolled on line.
One of the key leaders making that dream come true is on the platform with us today. Provost Ron Godwin has been a good friend for many years. His faithful dedication to Jerry Falwell's vision was an enormous asset in bringing it to fruition.
Despite these successes, American Civilization is in greater trouble today and in greater danger of disappearing than it was in 1971 when Reverend Falwell launched this great undertaking.
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| Watch Part 1 on ReAL Video |
In foreign dangers we have defeated Soviet Communism only to see the emergence of a new and potentially even more dangerous threat in radical Islamism. Here at home our court system has become an engine of secular dictation driving God out of public life and shattering the very fabric of more than two thousand years of religious commitments in our social policies.
We have seen our educational establishment dominated by the anti-clericalism and anti-religious fanaticism of the French Revolution and its European ideological successors.
We have endured our history being suppressed, distorted, and just plain lied about by educational, news media, and entertainment personalities. For me the final straw was June 26, 2002 when the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that “one nation under God” could not be part of the Pledge of Allegiance.
“One nation under God” was written into the Gettysburg Address by President Abraham Lincoln. It expresses a profound sense of reverence for America being under God.
The immediate reaction to this Court dictate was overwhelming. Senate passed a resolution reaffirming the Pledge of Allegiance by 99-0. The House voted 401-5 for a similar resolution. It is hard to imagine a wider gap between the legislative and judicial branches.
This is typical of the gap between popular views and the elitist views of the Courts. This gap between the judicial and elected branches is dangerous for the judicial branch. As the Declaration of Independence makes clear : Governments derive “their just powers from the consent of the governed.” As three different sections of the Federalist Papers make clear, the judicial branch is ultimately far weaker than the legislative and executive branches.
This Court decision was for me the decisive moment. What I am going to share with you today is not politically correct but I believe it is true.
Let me begin with telling the truth as the key to our future.
Callista and I were reminded of the importance of truth telling to freedom when we made two documentaries: “Ronald Reagan: Rendezvous with Destiny” and “Nine Days that Changed the World.”
Both movies dealt with the collapse of the Soviet Empire and the victory of freedom over tyranny. They led us to a new and deeper understanding of the importance of freedom through faith and liberty based upon our relationship with God.
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"As we examined the historic record and interviewed participants in those historic events it was astounding how much secular historians had ignored the impact of faith and religious belief in defeating the Soviet tyranny. It was as though the rigid secular radicalism of the universities could not imagine religion having a practical and profound effect on the lives of people." |
As we examined the historic record and interviewed participants in those historic events it was astounding how much secular historians had ignored the impact of faith and religious belief in defeating the Soviet tyranny. It was as though the rigid secular radicalism of the universities could not imagine religion having a practical and profound effect on the lives of people.
The Soviet Polish dictatorship was repressive. Imagine a country where you could not pray in school — the government was constantly tearing down crosses — in classrooms and newsrooms it was easier to be an atheist than to be a Christian.
Imagine a small secular political elite imposing its radical values on a massive majority of worshippers. You can see how strange Poland was---or maybe you can see how relevant this story is to America today.
Poles made it clear that the Pope's 1979 nine day pilgrimage was central to their grassroots struggle for freedom. The Pope's theme “Be Not Afraid” spoke to their hearts. Suddenly it was the government which was afraid because the people no longer allowed themselves to be intimidated.
When three million Poles gathered on June 2, 1979 for the first Papal Mass in Warsaw they looked around and as one of them said “we suddenly realized there are more of us than there are of the government. Why should we be afraid of them.”
A Polish intellectual said “it was like the opening of the American Constitution, „we the people”.
The struggle for freedom against the police state lasted ten years. Literally 10 years. The Pope arrived on June 2, 1979 and the first free election was June 4, 1989. One of the methods for undermining the dictatorship was a sign in store windows that said “for Poland to remain Poland 2+2 must always equal 4”.
The Communists knew this sign was subversive but they were not sure how to insist on taking it down. After all, how do you tell someone they can't display a sign saying 2+2=4?