O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
—Francis Scott Key—
I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery
—Thomas Jefferson—
Key point: Know, exercise, and defend your constitutional, God-given rights. In doing so, you’ll be upholding the rights of others as well.
In this post, I want to suggest five steps we must take to effectively resist tyranny in our nation, the various states in which we live (although I will write specifically about Tennessee), and in our local communities. We aren’t beyond the coronavirus pandemic. We still are in the “2-weeks to flatten the curve” period — 70 weeks or so after we were first encouraged to sacrifice those initial two weeks. The virus is a serious problem, and we must make sure we do not treat it lightly. However, government responses to it are creating problems that are growing larger and larger. In some situations, it really isn’t about the pandemic anymore, but about leaders who are engaging in overreach and abuse of power.
First, we must understand that “community organizers” will take advantage of every opportunity to increase their power and impose tyranny. This is not a conspiracy theory. We’re seeing this happen all around us.
Second, we need to understand that not all who might pave the way for tyranny necessarily are doing so with malicious intent. It’s easy to fall prey to the narrative that “we must issue guidelines and regulations” to achieve “a greater good.” Yet the “greater good” often is one-sided, and it comes with severe adverse consequences. On August 6, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee,
with little fanfare, signed a new executive order [available here] on Friday, August 6th which may be the most bombastic yet, if not downright nefarious. And that is saying a lot considering that last year, the Governor signed orders issuing lockdowns and calling workers nonessential in addition to “encouraging” churches to remain closed.
But Executive Order 83 seems to fall right in line with the plans of the Biden Administration and sets the table in Tennessee for a healthritocracy (I totally made this word up) to literally take over state government and completely obliterate individual liberties here in our state.
This warning came in the form of an email from Gary Humble of Tennessee Stands, an organization which, among other things, is fighting for a reasonable response to Covid-19 that still affirms liberty and constitutional rights. Humble raises concerns about these and other provisions in Governor Lee’s executive order.
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- 8. Discretion to utilize National Guard and State Guard members in connection with certain health care and emergency services operations.
- 14. Telephone assessments for involuntary commitment cases are permitted.
- 16. Medical laboratory directors can monitor facilities remotely.
- 18. Temporary quarantine and isolation facilities may be constructed.
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Gary Humble further states that while a
good portion of Governor Lee’s EO simply addresses the need for any increased hospital capacity and allows for more healthcare workers to enter the workforce if necessary,…there are other portions of the order that are incredibly problematic and a clear indication that our Tennessee government is fully prepared and willing to completely throw the Constitution out of the window if it feels that it is justified in doing so in the name of public health.
There are other portions of the order [EO 83] that are incredibly problematic and a clear indication that our Tennessee government is fully prepared and willing to completely throw the Constitution out of the window if it feels that it is justified in doing so in the name of public health.
Humble concludes his email by issuing a call to the Tennessee General Assembly to hold a special session to rein “this Governor-Gone-Wild,” to prevent him from trampling on the Tennessee Constitution, whether the governor is intending to do so or not.
How will all of this unfold? Gary Humble isn’t willing to stand by and simply wait. Too much is at stake. EO 83 gives us a clear-enough indication as it is.
Pushback is Essential
Gary Humble is not alone in expressing concern about Governor Lee’s overreach. Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles issued a proclamation of his own, which you can access and read here.
In the press release unveiling the proclamation, County Mayor Ogles declares, “It is time to stand,…And when the final lots are cast and we are measured against history, I pray that we will have preserved freedom for generations to come. And if we are to err, let us err on the side of freedom. The choice is ours, and I choose freedom.” Significantly, when we “err on the side of freedom,” it does not prevent, but fully allows those who desire or who need to take a cautious approach to do just that; but erring on the side of overregulation in the name of safety is oppressive to all and even is life-threatening to some. We cannot continue to be required to hunker down!
Third, we must understand that the battle between freedom and tyranny is a manifestation of another, more fundamental conflict — that of two different worldview, one affirming God’s existence, and therefore the existence of morality, and the other denying God’s existence.
Where God is acknowledged, freedom flourishes, and where He is ignored or defied, liberty is choked, quenched, and ultimately eliminated. Patrick Henry said, “It is when a people forget God, that tyrants forge their chains.”
Please note that tyrants can be aided and abetted by well-meaning people who don’t necessarily oppose God, morality, or religion. Still, these people tend to consistently listen to emotions over reason, and fail to look beyond the immediate future. We must exercise discernment to see the dangers of government control for safety’s sake, as well as see the opportunities that crises afford power-hungry, godless people.
Karl Marx once said, “My objective in life is to dethrone God and destroy capitalism.” It is no coincidence that capitalism is based on biblical principles that affirm human dignity and human sovereignty and freedom. Nor is it a coincidence that manifestations of cultural Marxism are everywhere today, mainly in movements like the social justice movement and social justice ideologies like critical race theory and intersectionality.
Scripture Affirms America’s Founding Ideals
Toward the end of helping people of faith see the connections between America’s founding principles and biblical truth, I have created a couple of Bible study series that demonstrate that the ties are real and strong. The studies are available here. This page will give you access, not only to the two Bible study series to which I just referred, but also a third study focusing on the important matter of Jesus’ deity.
Fourth, we need to resolve to allow free speech and the free exchange of ideas. This sometimes is referred to as debate, and it is the American way. Senator Rand Paul has been suspended from You Tube for making statements contrary to the narrative.
We have to have voices like Dr. Paul’s to keep abusers and potential abusers of the prevailing narrative in check. By this I mean using promoting the narrative to accomplish self-serving goals rather than working to uncover or promote the truth. Don’t tell me Dr. Paul is an abuser! He is both an elected official and a medical professional. Yet, with Big Tech in control, voices like Dr. Paul’s are, and have been, shut down. Sometimes I wonder if we live in America anymore. We must insist on policies that allow free speech and debate — the free exchange of ideas. It’s the American way.
Fifth, we need to be united in our resistance to tyranny. On my Facebook feed recently, I saw this:
Of course, every illustration breaks down at some point. Yet the major message in this image is clear. If we unite, we can overcome some very powerful and sinister forces. This happened during the American Revolution. It happened in World War 2 when the Allies stood against Hitler. And it must happen in our own country now.
That said, another point must be made as well: Francis Schaeffer emphasized that “Christians do not need to be in the majority in order to influence society.”
How, and to what extent, will believers be able to influence a culture that, up to this point, has become increasingly godless? The answer depends, in part, on you. Here is a good place to start. Then go
Also go here. Study together with others who also are concerned. Talk about these issues, and pray together. Agree that you will stand together and with others who are also pushing back and opposing the evils around us. This list doesn’t include all we need to do, but it does suggest some things that will be helpful to begin to do.
Will you resolve to stand up, speak up, and stick up for what you know to be right?
Liberty is at stake, and you can make a profound difference! Go for it!
Copyright © 2021 by B. Nathaniel Sullivan. All rights reserved.
top image credit: The 15-star, 15-stripe “Star-Spangled Banner” that inspired the poem by Francis Scott Key
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture has been taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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