三個柱子—美國遺產概要31 

美利堅合眾國成為一個國家的方式，在歷史記錄上與其他國家完全不同。英國殖民地被賜予宗教自由和自治權，其他國家往往要經歷數百年，甚至千年冗長、不斷的掙扎才能達到這樣的境界，而美國生來就擁有這些。 

因此，美國從第一世代就成長在自由的環境，遠大過世界任何地方所能經歷。他們從誕生就呼吸到自由空氣；因此，也能快速認出並抵擋壓制的惡臭。 

引起美國獨立革命的衝突是因為英國國王開始獨斷否認給予殖民者的特權，獨立宣言基本上就是英國國王違反合約的宣言。大部分內容是在重申國王給予殖民地的特別權力，以及國王是如何毀約。宣言的結論就是合法讓殖民地從英國的束縛中得自由。 

正如林肯總統所預料的，美利堅合眾國的最大威脅不是來自外面的敵人，而是來自內部。這些內部敵人是如何快速成長並壯大成目前的局面呢？我們要如何勝過他們呢？ 

美利堅合眾國將會被存留是因為「愛是永不失敗」，或是被翻成「愛是永不止息/放棄」（參考哥林多前書13:8）。美國有足夠的人熱愛自由和熱愛自己的國家，所以他們絕不會放棄，因此他們不會失敗。即便如此，最迫切掙扎得以存活的時候現在已經臨到我們，我們必須做的事或許簡單，卻一點也不容易。 

一個基本軍事原則宣稱，看不見的敵人是無法被擊敗的。對美國存在最大的威脅在幾乎沒有引起注意的情況下，已經變得壯大且數目龐大。這是來自為摧毀列國和文化所設計的最致命社會毒藥，對美國進行了微妙而持續的灌輸─馬克思社會主義。馬克思社會主義有著極權世界統治的核心目的，他們視美國為阻礙他們的最大障礙。因此，美國從一開始就成為馬克斯有毒哲學的主要目標。 

大部分喝下馬克思主義毒藥的人，並不知道他們被灌輸的原則來自馬克斯主義，大多數原則足以使他們回應並遵守一些口號和膚淺的情感訴求，從而使他們成為列寧口中「有用的白痴」。馬克思主義奉行者並不想讓他們想要控制的人知道馬克斯主義的本質，因為多數人會拒絕，他們只要跟隨者服從。 

正如殺死一棵植物的最佳方式是切斷其根源，毀滅一個國家的最佳方式是切斷其歷史和傳承。因此，馬克思主義的首要目標，是藉由讓人民忽視或鄙視這些歷史傳承來切斷其根源。 

此對美國的攻擊是有意圖、有計畫和有效的。現在馬克思主義已成為美國公立學校和大學的主流課程。美國孩童從小就被教導修訂過的美國歷史，其使良善看似邪惡，邪惡看似良善，結果是連小學生都開始仇恨自己的國家。這使得他們幾乎對任何替代教義敞開並有所響應。 

這是三管齊下的攻擊，透過媒體、電影和電視的微妙灌輸下，強化在美國各學校的反美宣傳。現在此毒藥是如此滲透在我們的國家，似乎無以還擊。事實上，我們被給予此毒藥的解藥絕對有效。 

真理大過任何謊言，對真理的熱愛比對敵人膚淺口號的盲目沉迷更具感染力。想一想單是二位被毆打卻持有真理的使徒，跛著腳來到一個城市，全世界最強大帝國的官員竟恐懼喊叫說：「那攪亂天下的也到這裡來了」（參考使徒行傳17:7）。一個持有真理和得著就是真理之神恩寵的人，可以擊敗世上最強大的敵人。 

唯有真理可以釋放並保有我們的自由；然而，要擁有真理，我們必須熱愛到足以殷勤尋求真理，然後捍衛真理。一個人對真理的動機若不出於愛，就會半途而廢。一個愛真理的人永不放棄，因為愛是永不止息。 

我們必須熱愛真理到足以拒絕對真理妥協，無論代價如何。這正是美國第一批殖民者所抱持的態度，這給他們決心來捍衛他們的「新世界」脫離舊有的統治。他們在真理上為殖民地立下根基，此根基強大到足以忍受每一個考驗。 

在美國獨立革命戰爭期間，經過多年的慘敗後，殖民地越挫越勇，全世界都為之震驚，他們無法理解到底是什麼激發如此堅忍的精神。世界並不瞭解自由有何等寶貴，因為他們沒有經歷這樣的自由，而美國人對自由的認識太深，使他們絕不輕易投降。 

一些歷史學家聲稱，如果殖民者沒有如期贏得勝利，他們對英國的投降協定迫在眉睫。事實是，如果戰爭持續很多年，美國人仍會繼續戰鬥。為什麼呢？因為他們熱愛自由，以堅定的信念宣告寧可死也不會投降。對他們而言，放棄不是一個選項。 

在我們的時代，需要多少人擁有如此的信念，定意存留美利堅合眾國，才能抵擋我們現在所面對的強烈猛攻？答案是不需很多。歷史證明只要一小群人具有如此深度、熱烈的信念，將會戰勝數量眾多卻信念淺薄的人。只要在任何人當中找到對自由的熱愛，我們可以指望「愛是永不失敗」的真理。只要少數熱愛國家和自由的人就不會失敗，無論有多少紛爭抵擋他們，而我們的開國父老早證明了此。 

～摘錄美國第七任總統安德魯·傑克森的告別演說（Andrew Jackson）～

它是來自內部，就在你們當中─來自貪心、腐敗、失望的野心，以及對權力的過度渴望─導致內部各派系形成，自由岌岌可危。不管演員怎麼假扮自己，都是與如此的設計互相抵觸，你們必須特別保守自己。你們擁有神所託付給你們看管的最高級人類信任，祂將無以計數的恩典澆灌在此恩寵的土地上，揀選你們成為自由的捍衛者，以維護人類的利益。願將各國命定握在祂手裡的神，使你們配得祂所賞賜的恩寵，使你們手潔心清、警醒不倦，保衛並捍衛祂交託你們所看管的直到末了。

(摘自喬納word for the week, Week 31, 2020)

 

Three Pillars—Heritage Brief 31

The American Republic grew into nationhood like no other nation in recorded history. The English colonies were given the freedom of religion and self-government in their charters. Other nations that attained any degree of these usually did so over centuries, or even millennia, of tedious and relentless struggle, but America was born with them. 

     As a result, the first generations of Americans grew up with freedoms greater than had been experienced anywhere else in the world. They breathed the air of liberty from the day they were born and were, therefore, quick to recognize and resist the foul stench of oppression.  

     The conflict that led to the War of Independence was the result of the British king starting to arbitrarily negate the rights that had been given to the colonists in their charters. The Declaration of Independence was basically a declaration of a breach of contract by the British king. Much of it was repeating back to the king the rights given to the colonies in their charters and how the king had broken the contract. Their conclusion was that this legally freed the colonies from their ties to Britain.   

     As President Lincoln predicted, the greatest threat to the Republic would not come from enemies without, but from enemies within. How did these enemies within grow so numerous and strong as they have now become? How can we prevail against them? 

     The Republic will be preserved because “love never fails” (see I Corinthians 13:8) or, as this Scripture could have been translated, “love never quits.” There are enough who love liberty and love their country, so they will never give up and therefore they cannot fail. Even so, the most desperate struggle to survive has now come upon us. What we have to do may be simple, but it will not be easy.

     A basic military principle declares that an enemy not seen cannot be defeated. The greatest threat to our existence has grown strong and numerous almost without notice. This has come through a subtle but continuous indoctrination of America by the deadliest social poison ever devised for destroying nations and cultures—Marxist socialism. Marxist socialism has a core purpose of totalitarian world domination and they see America as the greatest obstacle standing in their way. So we have been the main target from the beginning of their toxic philosophy.

     Most who have been drinking Marxist poison do not know that the source of the principles they have been indoctrinated with are Marxist. Most are served just enough to make them responsive and compliant to slogans and superficial emotional appeals to make them into, what Lenin called “the useful idiots.” Marxists do not want those they seek to control to know what Marxism really is because most would reject it. They just want their followers to be compliant. 

     Just as the best way to kill a plant is to cut it off from its roots, the best way to destroy a nation is to cut it off from its history and heritage. So, the first goal of the Marxists is to sever the people from their history and their heritage by either having them neglect these, or revising them to cause the people to despise them. 

     This attack on America has been intentional, systematic, and effective. Marxism is now a main course being served in our public schools and universities. From the earliest ages, our children are fed a revised history that has made the good seem evil and the evil seem good. The result is that even elementary students start to hate their own country. This makes them open and responsive to almost any alternative doctrine. 

     This is a three-pronged attack. This anti-American propaganda in American schools is fortified by a subtle inculcation through the media, movies, and television. Now this poison has so permeated our country that it may seem impossible to counter. Actually, we have been given an antidote to this poison that will surely work against it.

     The truth is stronger than any lie. A love for the truth is more contagious than the mindless addiction to the superficial slogans of our adversaries. Consider how just two beat-up apostles armed with the truth could limp into a city and the officials of the most powerful empire in the world would cry out in terror that “those who have turned the world upside down have now come here to us!” A single person armed with the truth and the favor of God who is The Truth can defeat the world’s most powerful armies. 

     Only the truth can set us free and keep us free. However, to have the truth we must love it enough to seek it diligently and then defend it. A person will quit if motivated by anything else but love. A person in love will never quit and love will never fail.

     We must love the truth enough to refuse to compromise it, regardless of the cost. This is what the first colonists to North America were armed with. This gave them the resolve to defend their “new world” from what had dominated the old. They laid a foundation upon the truth, and that foundation is strong enough to endure every test. 

     During the War for Independence, the world watched in astonishment as the colonies fought on after years of continuous crushing defeats. The world could not comprehend what motivated this kind of endurance. The world did not understand how liberty could be so precious because they had experienced so little of it. The Americans had known too much of it to ever surrender it.

     Some historians have asserted that if victory for the colonists had not come when it did, their capitulation to the British was imminent. The truth is that if the war had gone on for many more years the Americans would have fought on. Why? They loved their liberty with such deep convictions they declared that it would be better to die than surrender it. For them, quitting was not an option.

     How many are needed with such conviction and resolve to preserve the Republic in our time against the great onslaught we are now facing? Not many. History testifies that even a tiny percentage of those with deep and passionate conviction will prevail against any number of those who are shallow. As long as the love for liberty is found in any, we can count on the truth that “love never fails.” Just a few who love their country and love freedom will not fail, regardless of the odds against them. Our Founding Fathers proved this. 

     It is from within, among yourselves—from cupidity, from corruption, from disappointed ambition and inordinate thirst for power—that factions will be formed and liberty endangered. It is against such designs, whatever disguise the actors may assume, that you have to especially guard yourselves from. You have the highest of human trusts committed to your care. Providence has showered on this favored land blessings without number, and has chosen you as the guardians of freedom, to preserve for the benefit of the human race. May He who holds in His hands the destinies of nations make you worthy of the favors He has bestowed and enable you, with pure hearts and pure hands, and sleepless vigilance, to guard and defend to the end of time the charge He has committed to your keeping. —President Andrew Jackson in his farewell address