Inherited Ignorance
Lies From the Past
One day after class, I asked my professor about the current state of public affairs, so stained as they were with political division, hatred, and backbiting. I asked him: “What do you think is the root cause of the problem, and how can we fix things?”
This is what he told me, with absolute conviction: “The root cause? Why, of course, the root cause stems from our failure as a society to remove The Bible and what it teaches from American culture, as was clearly proscribed by the American founders.”
Trying not to sound too confused, I replied, quizzically, “The American founders?”
“Certainly, certainly,” sputtered my professor. “Certainly, my boy. You have heard of the doctrine of the separation of church and state, haven’t you?”
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Lies My Professor Told Me About American Politics: Questions Concerning the Original Vision of the Founding Fathers
“Challenges the idea that the separation of church and state was meant to erase religious values from American public life… Makes the case that engaging respectfully with religious perspectives can strengthen the social fabric, not make us more divided… Smith’s argument is less trust my narrative and more question what you’ve been handed…”
To hear Academia’s fireside chat about Lies My Professor Told Me About American Politics, CLICK HERE.
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“Why, yes,” I replied, still trying my best to conceal my confusion, and then I nodded. “Certainly.”
My professor eyed me suspiciously from behind his huge wooden desk. “I can see you’re not entirely convinced,” he continued. “Is that it?”
“Pardon me for sorry so, Professor. But I don’t quite see how removing The Bible from the political landscape would help matters any. I mean, as far as healing the wounds of such a divided nation.”
“I understand, my boy. Try to think of it this way, then… If division is what threatens to destroy a nation, then simply eliminate what most inflames that division. This is the driving principle behind removing what is undoubtedly the most inflammatory text in the history of humanity.”
Squinting my eyes, I considered his words carefully.
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To watch author and historian W. Kent Smith discuss the contents of his book On Earth as It is On Heaven, at the Sacred Word Revealed Conference ‘23, hosted by Zen Garcia, CLICK BELOW.
Story Continues From Above
“Now do you see what I’m telling you?” he asked.
“Hmmm,” was all I could muster in response, much to the chagrin of the stern old man sitting across from me.
It was at this point that I determined to begin my own investigation into what, exactly, my professor had meant that day and the extent to which he was either correct or incorrect in his thinking. What proceeds, in the following work, represents what I’ve discovered over the years in my pursuit to ferret out the real truth of the matter.
“The highest glory of the American Revolution was this; it connected in one indestructible bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.”
John Quincy Adams
