Online Course

–By Ben Gilmore

What a decade it promises to be!  In the next ten years, historians will have written volumes about the last ten years.  Though there is a massive effort to mold and shape accounts of historical events, truth has a nasty way of fighting its way to the surface.

Many believe this to be America’s, “Post-Christian” era.  That view I repudiate. That which the hand of God begins, it finishes.  Shortly after our high point of ratifying the US Constitution and its first ten amendments, our nation started a backslide right into a civil war.

While the rest of the world was peacefully doing away with slavery, America chose to fight a bloody war over it.  A war, one could say, was between “Pride” in the south, and “Self-righteousness” in the north.

I believe our nation has yet to blossom into that which the Lord had in mind two centuries ago.

Whether my view, or that of the cynics, turns out to have been the correct one,  I choose to focus upon what is true, honest, just, pure and lovely!

The cynic will be awed by the size and scope of the problem.  Attempting to alert others to the danger, the cynic will seek ever more sensational examples of the problem.  The result will be frustration, hopelessness , anger and (hopefully) an activist opposition effort.

On the other hand, a better approach.  Recognize that the “problem” is a “consequence“.  (The result of drifting away from the principles that served us so well during our two hundred year backslide.)  Relearn those principles.  Instill them into the next generation.  Apply them to the problems we face.

Test yourself:

1. Build a one line sentence defining the God of the Bible.
2. What is a “law” according to Sir William Blackstone, “father of the legal profession“.
3. What is behind the Declaration’s wording, “…Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God.”
4. “Family, Church, State” are all governmental.  Upon what government rests the quality of each?
5. If you have not learned sound principle, how do you evaluate alternative choices?
6. If God’s Principle of Individuality is violated, why does the effort fail?
7. Why the difference?  “God’s principle of individuality” and the, “Christian principle of self-government.”
8. What is your measure of Quality Character?
9. Without the principle of “Private Property“, has the 10th Commandment any meaning?
10. What three forms of government were combined into ours for the first time in human history?
11. Why is “Local Authority” preferred over centralization?
12. “Law without liberty is slavery.  Liberty without law is anarchy”.  What is law with liberty?
13. Can you recognize “situation ethics”?
14. Have you learned how to never lose a debate?

Soon (See Schedule for course dates) we begin our next “Principles of American Government” online course*.  There is still time to enroll.  Please Contact Ben for information.

*24 each, 75 minute interactive classes, offered twice (9AM & 6PM Pacific time) on Monday and Wednesday.  Participants commit themselves to one class Monday and Wednesday plus guided reading assignments requiring 5 hours a week outside class.

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