Stand with Courage

The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is that we must stand with courage against evil both foreign and domestic. The evil forces of the world are gathering, and their powers are increasing. It takes courage to stand against evil, but the task becomes easier when people stand together. The task also becomes easier to those who remember that good will eventually overcome evil. The good people of the world must unite to fight against the evils of our day.

One of the evils currently raising its ugly head again is anti-Semitism. Our fathers and grandfathers fought and many died in World War II to end the killing of Jews by Nazi Germany. It appears that we must again fight this evil because Nazi swastikas have appeared in the "Arab Spring" movement in the Middle East and North Africa. Signs have been seen in Egypt saying: "We are building the gas chambers." Those who have eyes to see the evil of Nazism must be courageous enough to stand against it.

Edmund Burke is credited with the following quote: "All that is necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing." I've heard and read this quote many times, usually in Church or in literature encouraging goodness. I was very surprised to read the same quote in Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinsky. I had a most difficult time with this and other similar quotes even being in Rules for Radicals because I consider anyone desiring and working towards the overthrow of the United States to be evil. How could it be possible for this author to consider his followers to be "good men"? This discovery made me realize that almost anything can be used to put an idea across and that it only depends on your point of view.

Conservative Americans and citizens of other nations have been searching for someone to lead us out of the global problems we currently face. No politician or national leader stepped forward to accept the position of leadership. Knowing that we cannot trust everyone to lead us in a good direction, we realize that we must be careful about who we listen to and follow. I personally make it a matter of prayer because I know that God knows the intents of each heart. I know that He will not lead me astray.

When I first heard about the Restoring Courage special event put on in Jerusalem, Israel, by Glenn Beck, I wanted to attend it. I wasn't able to work out the details of the trip so I had to settle for watching it over the Internet on GBTV.com. I was amazed, impressed and moved by the entire series of program. I was very impressed by Glenn's presentations and even a little shocked by his speech on the last day of the event. When he called to us to join the global movement for rights and responsibilities, I wanted to follow. Having no desire to be led in a wrong direction, I took the matter to God and came away from my prayer with the feeling that I should follow Glenn's lead. Whether or not you like Glenn Beck, I encourage you to read his Declaration of Rights and Responsibilities and then pray for direction in whether or not you should follow his lead. Glenn's speech follows:

"As the American Declaration of Independence clearly states, when in the course of human events it becomes necessary for people to band together and collectively declare their rights and responsibilities to which the laws of nature and nature's God entitle and bind them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should disclose the causes which impel them to such.

"Therefore let us declare that we still hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal and are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But with those rights come responsibilities.

"In order to continually experience life, liberty and happiness as promised, nature's God demands obedience to His law to protect those rights. This is where we have fallen short and therefore, in order not to lose the blessings of freedom, the people of the world must turn from the sole focus on rights, and recognize the inherent and required responsibilities that we have.

"Among the responsibilities to which we must adhere to maintain our God given rights are honor, courage and vigilance. Over time, we believe that these basic human responsibilities have been trampled, and replaced with degradation, fear and apathy.

"But when a long train of abuses of the people and conscience by the media and by other segments of society, pursuing the same path of reducing them to ridicule, scorn and even sub-human status, it is their right, it is their DUTY, to peacefully, but vehemently take a stand.

"Men want to be king, and the more we concentrate on our rights and the more we are told not to worry about our responsibilities, the more we lose our rights.

"Just as physics show, for every action there's an equal and opposite reaction. The time has come to declare that at least for the western world human rights are generally accepted and moving in the right direction; however, a new movement is required, a movement of human responsibility.

"The media, politicians and large institutions, both academic and political, have been lying to us, and we must demand the truth be told.

"With that demand, comes the responsibility that we tell the truth first, in ourselves. Too many of us delegate our responsibility to the media … and too many believe there is no personal responsibility at all.

"Political correctness has polluted our language and clouds our every discussion.

"What was once accepted as good and right is now considered bad and evil, and that which was bad and evil is now presented to the world as good and decent. Opposing thoughts or opinions are referred to as crazy, insane, non-factual and utterly without merit. Furthermore, we are told, they should not even be heard.

"Now, the time has come to take a stand by exhibiting the traits - honor, courage and vigilance.

"What is honor? It is being honest in all of our dealings. It is showing loyalty and fairness, and being a beacon of integrity in all our beliefs and actions. It is showing respect for others.

"Ruth honored Naomi when she told her that she would not leave her. That she would go wherever Naomi went, that she would live where Naomi lived and die where Naomi died. Her God would be Naomi's God.

"Courage is the ability to face danger, criticism or scorn - not without fear, but while overcoming fear to deal with that which comes our way.

"When no one else in the Kingdom wanted to face the mighty giant Goliath, young David was willing. David must have felt fear at the sight of his foe, but overcome it, and courageously vanquished his enemy.

"Vigilance is being watchful for all forms of treachery and tyranny, lies and deceit: The person in the watchtower, waiting all night, suddenly sounding the alarm that the enemy is coming. The careful observer of the markets and economies who proclaims to the world, all is not well, there is trouble ahead and the outspoken critic of the powerful, going against societies' grain, warning that all is not as we're being told. These are the vigilant.

"We implore all people to stand with these characteristics - honor, courage and vigilance.

"To that end, we must restore honor in our own lives. Seek after the truth. Declare right now, that no longer will we simply accept what is told us by the media or anyone else.

"The media has the responsibility to tell the truth; we have the responsibility to learn it.

"Stand with courage, even if it means the end of our jobs, the end of our positions in life … or even the end of our very lives. We must have the courage to be peaceful, while recognizing the courage to defend and respond to threats and/or attacks when necessary.

"Turn the other cheek when possible.

""We must be vigilant. We must think the unthinkable. The holocaust occurred because no one could imagine it, but evil never sleeps, and neither must we.

"As Edmund Burke said, "all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." We must DO something. Stand watch. Speak up. Become involved.

"Thus, we the people do hereby declare not only our rights, but do now establish this bill of responsibilities.

"1. Because I have the right to choose, I recognize that I am accountable to God and have the responsibility to keep the Ten Commandments in my own life.

"2. Because I have the right to worship as I choose, I have the responsibility to honor the right of others to worship as they see fit.

"3. Because I have freedom of speech, I have the responsibility to defend the speech of others, even if I strongly disagree with what they're saying.

"4. Because I have the right to pursue happiness, I have the responsibility to show humility and express gratitude for all the blessings I enjoy and the rights I've been given.

"5. Because I have the right to honest and good government, I will seek out honest and just representatives when possible. If I cannot find one, then I accept the responsibility to take that place.

"6. Because I have the God given right to liberty, I have the personal responsibility to have the courage to defend others to be secure in their persons, lives and property.

"7. Because I have the right to equal justice, I will stand for those who are wrongly accused or unjustly blamed.

"8. Because I have the right to knowledge, I will be accountable for myself and my children's education … to live our lives in such a way that insures the continuation of truth.

"9. Because I have the right to pursue my dreams and keep the fruits of my labor, I have the responsibility to feed, protect and shelter my family, the less fortunate, the fatherless, the old and infirm.

"10. Because I have a right to the truth, I will not bear false witness nor will not stand idly by as others do.

"Unconditionally, while maintaining my responsibility to compassionately yet fiercely stand against those things that decay the natural rights of all men. And for the support of this declaration, and with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence we mutually pledge to each other our lives, fortunes and sacred honor.