Previews. He currently hosts the Michael Medved show that airs in over 300 stations across the country and reaches 5 million listeners and its a written 13 books including the best seller of hollywood versus america and the ten big lies about america. The latest in the rise of the republic please join me in welcoming michael. [applause] thank you everybody for coming out and a sampling the joys of the christmas season. The kinsey christma kings a chrd Holiday Season if you prefer but we have been saying Merry Christmas again so Merry Christmas to everybody, happy hanukkah. They fall about the same time this year so that is unusual. Before i begin, i want to introduce a dedicated team of this book. My wonderful wife we are coming up believe it or not to the 32nd because she doesnt recognize she is 32. [laughter] [applause] dianes new book is coming out in march and its called dont divorce. Its not addressed to anyone in particular, it is addressed to everyone in general. Its a terrific book and i cant wait to be sitting in the audience for her presentations about the book and i cant wait for questions because we are fortunate to have cspan with us tonight and that will be important and dramatic and i look forward to it, but i want to begin by anticipating three questions that are an inevitable so lets deal with them right now. Question number one, which i will get to at the end. Question number one, pardon the expression, the elephant in the room its the obvious question and something i wasnt expecting to deal with when i set out to write this book. The question is okay, you argue in the american miracle that providence and the rise of the republic. You argue that there is special protection for the United States of america and yes i do, i often agree with the iron chancellor, the guy thats welde that weldee state in 1898 chancellor bismarck said god gives special protection to imbeciles, drunkards, lost dogs and the United States of america. [laughter] how can we recognize that special protection in the season when we have just experienced the president ial election with the two least popular candidates ever. The disApproval Ratings for secretary clinton were sky high and there is no doubt the president elect trump has momentum and there is a greater approval but he just won an election. The Approval Ratings skyrocketed to 57 . Now it is much better. It was down in the 20s but if god protects america how did we end up with this particular where whicheve whichever site yd up on was agonized and wringing hands about the decision in the process hell did that happen . Question number two is straightforward and you hear that all the time. How is it that you ended up writing this particular book and what was it about the topic that caused you to do this book . Lets say there is a skeptic who says this is just a coincidence that stuff you write about is sent so miraculous its just a bunch of random circumstances that fit together. We got into the official bestseller territory. Theyve been allstar reviews and the guide made precisely that point. He said i disagree with medved because what hes talking about is easily explained. By the way a more sympathetic party wrote back and said you didnt read the book because he anticipates that argument but the truth is he acknowledged they only read the sample chapter that you could get on the website. We will get to that third question as well. Let me take the middle question first page shoul which should he first one in order and then come around at the end to close the circle and open up to your question. The subject in this line of argument that was so compelling as to be with family history. I did this book in part in memory to my late father. My father was an american miracle. He really was and i will tell you the story. My grandfather came to the country in 1910. He never went to school and when i say never went to school a mean he never went to school. Lincoln went to school a total of six months and was arguably the best stylists in the history of the english language. My grandfather never fully learned english. He was from ukraine and lived in a tiny little town. I know it sounds like youre all clearing youyou areall clearingd its one of the great things from ukraine. My grandfather comes to philadelphia in 1910 and he has a plan in his plan is basically is that better . He is going to work long enough to earn enough money to send money home. When you are working as a barrel maker to be able to do that. With the six children and her father they started out and started writing the train through ukraine to the border. The bloodiest front of that flows between russia and germany and austria. In the course of the war the Russian Revolution three years later. It lasted for six more years and it didnt end until 1923. They are struggling. Five of my fathers sisters. They got out and came to ameri america. My grandfather just turned 50 and they came to philadelphia and reunited. Can you imagine having lost five children and buried five children and then the tragedy is my grandmother got sick right away when she came here and she was typically worried because they have no money and couldnt pay for doctors and she couldnt keep down her food and was convinced there was a tumor in her digestive track because she couldnt keep food down and felt this thing growing. She went to see a physician, actually my uncle isaac. My grandmother who i knew was a very cheerful person could cry. In any event, he examines her and they sit down together and shes crying and says do you want me to show you what it is committed to tumor, isnt it and he said no its a baby. She said thats not possible. Ive been away from my husband, i am in my late 40s. I am not in the way of women. The doctor smiled and said well, your name is sarah, isnt it, and it was. And the baby was my brother. His nickname in south philadelphia, really, and i knew people that still referred to might add this way, his nickname was delete command little tumor. My dad growing up in south philadelphia with people who had never been to school this kind of a star in the school and he won the scholarship in philadelphia and then fought for the navy and the war ended and he got out of the war and went to pennsylvania and undergraduate and masters in physics and he had an amazing life. The one thing he never shied away from was a sense of wonder and blessing and destiny about his parents coming to this country. He was conceived right after my grandmother came to the United States of america. This amazing spectacular land. My dad was 22. They used to take me around to Historic Sites where the constitution and declaration of independence i write a great deal about the constitution and he infused in me the idea that this is amazing stuff. I remember my dad, i was like 4yearsold and they didnt have uniforms or shoes. You are walking on the snow and when you were a little kid of course it bothers you but its a memory and in this sense of gratitude this made my fathers life possible to go from a barrel make are to being a successful physicist scientist. My dad became a sabbath observer for the first time in his 50s there was something special, unique, distinctive about america and if you love history because it isnt just a bunch of irrelevant stories or accusations that are supposed to make you feel guilty if to make you feel grateful and that is the impulse that led me to write this book and its something i always try to pass on to our three children. We need to live with this sense of gratitude for the amazing existence of the country into survival of the country. The country how do we protect to god from the United States. We will get to that in just a moment. The other question was how do you argue with this is not just coincidence, and what is fascinating to me is basically the fellow that did the negative review on amazon focused on what is the most bizarre story as most of you know. July 4182 fourth 18,265th annivy to the beginning of this great country and people are being literate at that time and most americans at that time were religious in one form or anoth another. This is the biblical jubilee. They are getting ready to celebrate this grand jubilee. They have colonies separated into an economic and military powerhouse in a very short order. People are celebrating because the two great giants that allowed them to come into existence that argued for it relentlessly, his name was john adams and he wa was 90yearsold and was alive and well as president of the United States john quincy adams, amazing. Similarly, thomas jefferson, who adams had chosen to write the declaration because 50 people that were there in the Continental Congress jefferson was also outlined a both president s of the United States, the typical Life Expectancy is 20 years less than that. People thought we were incredibly fortunate. John adams died that night on july 4 and reportedly his last words were jefferson survived. But he didnt, he died six hours earlier. The only two president s to die on the same day. Okay so he writes in and says wait a minute, november 22, 1963 the british novelist dies and john f. Kennedy dies, so what. Id wake my pardon the expression, trump that. Cs lewis dies and what is the connection, this is like a joke like three guys and a great theological thinker they walk into a bar and they have nothing in common. [laughter] jefferson and adams have everything in common and november 22, 1963, this was just another day until that happened. July 4, 1826 was a special day even before they died. People suggest the odds of this happening have about the same odds of this happening of the 50th anniversary of july 4 and by the way of the only on ones t i july 4 died later in 1841 and that was james monro. The odds of this happening is a royal flush 45 times in a row. Its not normal. And that story and one other that i was held briefly passed to convince you something is going on. I have three chapters devoted to Abraham Lincoln because hes such a familiar figure and we really lose this sense of just how weird everything about him is. It is incredibly weird that he ever became president and not just because he grew up poor. He didnt have a formal education, he went to school a total of six this. He didnt come from a distinguished background. And he wasnt a successful politician. He wasnt a famous millionaire or reality star, lincoln ran for the senate and lost every time. He went to congress and imposed the war and so goes his National Political for beer. But even more than that it is who he was and the journey that he took from being a skeptic who because of the same faith in america is a predestined land of promise that made him simply amazing and one of the stories i tell that i highlighted in the book involves the emancipation proclamation. In the summer of 1862 he directed by himself no speechwriter, no president ial assistant, he drafts the emancipation proclamation and reads it to his cabinet and the secretary of state who was not an Oriole Oriole executive said you cannot issue the proclamation now. We have lost battle after batt battle. They lost the battle of boron. It was beaten by the southerners and the confederates. You cannot issue this proclamation and he agreed and told them he would put it in and wait for a sign from providence and the forces that control this world. The signing came in an unlikely way. Shes invading the north marching at the head of the triumphant army of Northern Virginia in some description the most formidable man for man fighting force. They were motivated by the one victory after victory and now they look forward to end the war to secure the defense of the confederacy. They give me an army is a switch in general all of a sudden lincoln brings back general mcclellan. You can say she was a legend in his own mind. He has a sense of grandeur that is insufferable and he referred to blink and in the letters of his wife as the original gorilla. He was a highly educated and highly polished. Lincoln brought him back after firing him before to believe the army to try to stop this invasion which was going to end the war. Britain was on the verge of recognizing the confederacy which would make it a member of the family of nations, the first new member of the family of nations, the biggest upon the principle of the slavery. The 44th volunteers are merging all night as part of this effo effort. They arrived at the town of Frederick Maryland and they lie down in a grassy open field in d a 42yearold corporal weeds while the babe ruth sub campfire and then theres another pleasure. Just as the corporal is sliding down and stretching out he reaches out with his left hand and touches something in the tall grass in the field where they are and what it touches our three cigars on smokes and they look pretty good. He starts asking for a light and his buddy says wait a minute. What are those papers they are wrapped in covered with handwriting it says at the top, general 181. Okay. This looks serious. And its signed by the chief of staff robert e. Lee. They take it to their cabinet and they go on and on up the line with these orders because it could be important. Its considered a tragedy. The three most important in history. They take the famous lost to general mcclellan who has the good sense to interpret the council with its associated generals to look at these papers and he said it must be a fraud. They are trying to set a trap for me because this cant be the information that has the layout of all of the troops and plans and all of a sudden he says this was written by the lieutenant general. Someone comes up and says i know that ste him from the regular a. Why . These amazing stories. Hes on the staff and he says he was stationed out in the troy working at a bank and there was a small army base he used to come in all the time and say i know his handwriting. He looks at the handwriting and says i am sure that is authentic. So he says with this paper if i dont beat bobby lee from its time to come home and the battle of antietam follows. Lincoln gets the sign and tells the two cabinet members i have received the sign ive been waiting for and now he will free the slaves and the emancipation proclamation follows. There isnt a possibility that be leaving this is random chance and that this is the basic argument in the book. Yes, you can say one thing or another of these various stories or the fact gold was discovered in california in the same week that the United States of america got title to california which was only because there was a clerk in the state department who defied president spoke and frisked arrest. He signed the papers anyway not knowing 1600 miles away at that very moment they were discovering you can say that its all a pattern of happy accidents but thats still a pattern and that is what emerges with tremendous clarity. That brings me to the final question and then opening up to your questions. What do you say about clinton and trump . Is there anyone that sad the campaign is over . The mood in the country is better during the campaign it was so dark and the divisions were so horrible. There are things happening that are strange. After meeting with condi a west today. [laughter] im not sure which cabinet position he is up for. [laughter] secretary of music. We dont have that position. But okay, luc looks looks the me country is better and here is one of those things. One of the things i learned in writing to the american miracle is this, the profound truth that you can find in the book reviewed by the founders even those that have rejected it and there were some come in the book of exodus 33, moses wants to see his face and glory and he says no man may look at it and live. He hides them in the rock and then he can see gods back. The traditional understanding in the jewish tradition of type very strange message is that it is possible to see history after it happens and understand it in a way that it is impossible to understand as it is happening. To bring us back to bismarck, i cant resist, it is a good quote. He says in another place it is the job of the state and listen for the footsteps marching through history and then grab onto his coattails to hang on. Thats our job. There may be reasons why this Difficult Campaign and mr. Trumps election could contribute to good things in america. Anybody expect the market to clean up the way it is . Another great day today, things are going better than people expect. And here is the one good thing, if anyone can identify an ideology attached to donald trump other than that he believes in himself i think he does but this is not an ideologue and he really does seem to be trying in his own imperfect way to be the president of all people. I think the possibility of even a Difficult Campaign working out for americas benefit is real. One of the things that seems to mit seems to methat as beneficie campaign, the campaign was petty and small and talking about email servers and trump university, right now it is going to be refreshing because when we talk about changes and policies and issues, i am hoping that this new year and at the inauguration otheinauguration ow administration can bring the best things to the United States of america. People that would bet against our country, that is a losing bet. All of our patriotic songs if you look at the second, third, fourth versions they all mentioned the idea that this has been a god entangled land. We are so fortunate and if you deny that nature of the american miracle, and you are left without the idea of the pattern of happy accidents which is still a pattern. You are left with one other idea that america got to be in the dominant power in the world from being a stream of settlements clinging onto these. To be the dominant power in the world because we were cool and dominant and so cruel and horrible and guilty. Here is the problem. There were a lot of other countries that were much worse particularly colonial powers like spain, france and holland, far more harsh than anything those became americans ever did. They didnt succeed, we did. And may we continue to succeed and with a continuation of providential protection and the understanding that thats a blessing come for us not to special privileges but burdens and responsibilities may we continue to cherish and bearish the greatest nation on gods green earth. Thank you very much. [applause] lets go to some questions. Are you saying the election of donald trump is a Divine Providence . [laughter] its hard for me to say especially people that listen to the radio show know that i never supported him and i didnt vote for him. It must be Divine Providence. Not necessarily. This goes to one of the questions in human history. People say you believe god has blessed the United States. Then why did he allow the Great Depression on september 11 . Why did he allow lincolns assassination when he was most needed . Thats the last big question that i face in the book. Its called the messenger and his message. Basically i dont believe that everything that happens is providential that a great many of the big things are. The same way that he asked why would god who has always favored this nation allow this what he calls the 90s were a joke before . And what he put forth is even that it was punishment for slavery that needed to be paid. Whether he turns out to be a punishment for something a were a deliverance for the country in a challenging time one of the things i resist and people in the radio show know its folly for people to say these are dark days for people in america its not. I have resisted and people know barack obama was the worst president we ever had to get what he has done to this count country. I didnt vote for him and hes not my idehe isnot my idea of wt should do. But the country is okay. You look at the way that we live and they are very much there is to answer your question, i hope he will be able to look back and say there was something providential that one reason i might be inclined is it was so unexpected. Did you think that he was going to win back me neither. My wife said i cant believe that he is president. He isnt dead but he will be. Who knows what god has in mind. There have been more unlikely things that ive written about in the book that this could be a beneficial and hopeful time. One thing that is very good, we went through eight years which people didnt get everything they wanted but particularly during the first two years, people laughed at a lot of what they wanted in terms of financial reform with dodd frank and the Lilly Ledbetter act at all of these achievements in the reelection. We will see some things in the Republican Senate and the republican house. Im a great admirer and supporter of speaker ryan. We may see not radical reform or things being changed, the things moving in a more freemarket and more conservative direction for a while. Thats the kind of balance that has always helped america. Maybe it is a colonoscopy for the country, a cleaning out as it were. [laughter] anybody that is hesitating about getting a colonoscopy [laughter] it is worth doing and you should really do it. [laughter] thank you. I like that analogy because they are necessary. Yes they are. Other questions quite of those that listen to the program know that your brother is he still practicing . Johnson does write columns but hes primarily a businessman and makes an honest living. My brother, im very proud of him. Hes probably the leading venture capitalist in israel and has been a big part of the boom. There is a saying that is attributed to the founding Prime Minister and the modern state of israel who once said we dont believe in miracles, we rely on them. There are aspects to that when you look at things that are not completely believable, there is a wonderful poem by Henry Longfellow called the Jewish Cemetery in Newport Rhode island thats the oldest continuous congregation in the United States. He says how strange it is close by the town. Too bad they will never have another nation and of the entire pool he was sympathetic to this dream which by the way he inspid American Christian science in the 1840s. Its an amazing story but in any event, my brother is now the grandfather of 66 or seven, as of seven grandchildren now, yes it is a. Hes made a Beautiful Life in israel but in terms of the will in history the fulfillment and remarkable fulfillment of biblical prophecy in israel is very much a part of the story . I will frame it upon the question and the fact our country is recognized for its immigration and everything else. Its the payback. My question raising the issue have you had conversations with him about this conversation the only one in the region i think it is fair to say what do they think about . Let me agree with you the similarities in the United States and israel are profound. These are the only countries that are not based on blood and soil but good ideas. Its jewish people from all over the world. Many people dont realize this theyve obviously had a long history of conversion based upon ideas. They estimate one out of ten are jews by choice. Israel is based on a good idea and america is based on a series of good ideas. It wa is based on intelligent design. My brother is a businessman and he will be working with the Trump Administration and i think it is safe to say that my brother shared some of my skepticism during the campaign but also some of the things hes done and i think in terms of the relationship between the United States and israel things should be even closer. Im doing another book which im supposed to be writing right n now. My new book is called this favored land and its more american miracles. The story of the providential protection from 1865 through the present day. The reason i mention that is because a part of what many people have made the point that america has benefited from something promised in genesis 12 co three or hes told those that bless yo you with yoe bused into those that curse you will be cursed. No one has blessed jewish people the way that the United States of america has. Thats something that anybody that knows jewish history has to be conscious of pp but the connection between that blessing and those that we received in america a lot of christian believers and jewish believers hold to that connection as real. Which concepts and ideas from your message shoul would you lio share with seattles High School Students . That is a great question and let me say this, the appropriate response to history isnt guilt, its gratitude. But that doesnt mean by the way that america has been a perfect nation. American exceptionalism doesnt mean american professionalism and the idea that we have been protected in this country doesnt mean that we always deserved it. There are times that we manifestly have not had one of the problems so much of what you get an Education Today is a large litany of complaints that they lived here in harmony and if it isnt true. Then the white man came and everything was ruined and spoiled and everything was exploited and affordable. Okay, thats wrong and its also called on the other side to say from the very moment people first came to jamestown that they were righteous and good and everything lives in harmony. Its history. But the important point that i would share with the High School Students is that history is more exciting and true when you focus on the heroic and things that truly are amazing in terms of giving us a good life that we should appreciate. And the study of history showed lead people not to a special burden of guilt but a special sense of responsibility and the capacity to lead these amazing lives. America has always been the land of new life and fresh starts. Thats why people came here and crossed the big ocean and left home. Thats why my grandfather came into the pilgrims came. One of the things this in itself is very important. I care very much that people get this right. They didnt come here because they were fleeing religious persecution. They teach this in school and its nonsense. Where did they come here from . Holland the most tolerant country in the world. There is no religious persecution in holland. They came here seeking righteousness and a perfected society of simply freedom from persecution. The idea that there has been a general arc celebrating january 15 at town hall, doctor king says the moral arc of the universe is upward, and it most certainly does. Teaching that to kids, the idea that what we need to do is not focused on reasons to feel guilty that to deal grateful would be the primary message. I have a twopart question. To me, when he was a Lieutenant Colonel the first round of questions what do you think is the most spectacular side of the well in thwill in the life of ge washington and second, you may not have an answer to this can you think of anything similar in the life of general mattis . I dont know the personal history. I have that he us from is from washington and is one of our o own. You will notice im wearing my purple tie in honor of the forthcoming confrontation in alabama. The crimson tide sounds like something that washes up on shore. When you read stories about this guy and i spoke with people, a remarkable man and a remarkable choice and for people that are deeply skeptical, very reassuring the Defense Department is the most important appointment that he will meet anmakeand is one that is univery praised. I dont know if you read the section of my book i have a story about it and it is unbelievable because it is complicated with our source for the prophecy is a lifelong friend of washington and was an iowa us to this story. Washington went out about eight years after which was known as the defeat where basically they marched into the trap is marching very slowly with the equivalent and they were filled with Sharp Shooters and the native american allies. 69 of them were killed or wounded. He was a 23yearold Lieutenant Colonel. At the time when the typical person besides this, he stood out. Basically to survive the chances of breaking a leg, there were four bullet holes in his clothing including his half was a shot off from his head and this was so striking at time that a famous pastor long before the revolution, the future president from princeton university, famous pastor delivers a sermon and this surely theyve protected that into sustained him from the cingular service to his people. The title is indestructible indispensable. At many points, you can see the entire history of the world being changed if they go this way and that way. He was coming back from having delivered an ultimatum to the french. It was based upon the recollections of the companions. It is in th was in the river inn pennsylvania and its cold and they survived a. They offered to guide them and us all the companion was carrying a heavy musket and they took aim at washington and fired a double fire 10 feet away. As i say in the book come at this moment if someone were making a movie about this and they should you could see the bullets in slow motion as the entire history of the world depends upon this bullets missing its target, and it did. Patrick ferguson who was the most famous marksmen in the british army had a chance to plug washington from the snipers before the battle for explicable reasons they said that its distasteful to him and didnt want to do it. His name was custis and he never had children this is another thing you think about. She had two stepchildren and was a widow when he married martha and one of the stepgrandchildren wrote the play and the indian prophecy of his friend doctor cry a key came here because he wanted to meet the grade chief that would be washington and then he tells the story from the indian point of view in the book was transcribed about concluding they couldnt miss that they were powerless against george washington. It struck people at the time. He died at the end, this time of year a few days after this but before the end of the century he dominated in 1789 in december. Thanks for your lifetime of scholarship into peachtree to some its given us so many years of enlightenment and entertainment. Did he do it on rome and persia quite something as big as rome and the persian empire, there is Something Bigger involved. When i was 16, i discovered my Favorite Book of all time, and it still is. There was no better novel ever written. He writes about the will of history which is you can say this is a random accident that napoleon. Fullstop one day and felt like he could invade russia. Okay. If a russian peasant wakes up and says i want to invade france today, it doesnt matter. What you are talking about is so many hundreds of thousands of people that have to make these decisions into the amount to Something Big that we are talking about big stuff and if you believe god didnt just make the watch and said the watch i think it represents something in the will of history if you will but that timetable has been written. The empire was so corrupt it you could say that corruption became worse after the republic and empire. The other aspect, they didnt believe in one controlling force in the universe which seems to me is one of the differences between our point of view in the United States and the plaintiff view of ancient civilizations like the persian civilization that you mentioned that one of the things you will see in the book that will amaze you with even the Founding Fathers and Great American leaders that we dont associate as being christian or religious at all believ. God was guiding the unitd states. And by the way it played a role one of the chapters was the president ial purpose. How is it that Napoleon Bonaparte but that the biggest appetite for gobbling up land gives away the site of the 15 states that america didnt even ask for. At the fight to keep the price of a penny and acre. When he heard this news he said there is an enchantment. He wasnt a religious guy. He said the same one that guided us so firmly made the purchase possible. Its not the idea of one god thagod isthe god of all. I want to tidy my question to your topic so i think its also important that america had a genius like hamilton you just mentioned in the perfect constitution but it certainly works. They stayed awake and civics and i resented that a little bit and had a little dinner conversation with some others and told them about this and i said i think that the truck driver in tennessee had a very innate sense how the Government Works to and of course my interlocutor said they were just out of a debate and thats why they voted for trump. We have people like you that are teaching civic and they had gotten a little out of control. The president was using it to govern. You are familiar with william f. Buckley before we lost him i think it is a great man made this wonderful comment where he said i would much rather be governed by the first 2,000 names in the Telephone Directory chosen at random than the harvard faculty. Buckley could say that but there is a fundamental truth and that is basically by the way it wouldnt have been recognizable to James Madison and washington are atoms because the franchise was limited at that time. Most people dont know this at the time of the constitution, there were six states that had religious tests for voting. Catholics were not allowed to vote but when jews or atheists only protestant christians were allowed to vote in ne new hampse and again this was before they federalized the First Amendment with the 14th amendment. So in any event, there was a different point of view. Basically everybody talked about the appetite for change. They were bored and frustrated and they didnt like it and if they were tired of hearing the same complaints in the same drift in that direction so lets knock down all the pieces and start over. With his selection in the cabinet by and large is trying to give people what they want. This will be different but the same predictability is gone and the fact is that one reason i believe that its better if people are paying attention. They are kind of interested. Do i think that he will send in a new golden age i think america was great before but is it possible that we will be greater and there will be a sense of strengthening people like the questioner here that we are not following an inevitable decline . Yes there are people in the center and people on the left and on the right. This is the one area where i do tend to disagree a lot with the enthusiastic support. This is not a country that is going to rise or fall on the strength of one leader. But speaking about the founders and this Remarkable Group of people we live in a big country of 330 million people. Living in the United States at the time. Three and 1 2 million. And about onetenth of those people were slaves. We are talking about 100 of the population you have franklin and hamilton and madison, Adams Jefferson aaron burr or better or worse John Marshall he did have the American Opportunity to do with bill and Hillary Clinton and would ask me later if they inhaled. [laughter] but think of the revelation berry leader washington and who do you put them up against today . Are you kidding me . Are you kidding me . You could say this explains why america was designed. It was designed. It was remarkable. Of the country did not just you fold it was intelligent design. But who is the designer . And all of those guys did not claim to be the authors they claim to be the instrument. By gcs the end of the declaration of independence and it is consistent even with those two are religiously unconventional like thomas paine who was antireligious and jefferson who whipped out the parts of his bible that he did not like. [laughter] and franklin was a deist but he gave an amazing speech by James Madison. He was 81 years old and spoke at the constitutional convention. It is the most amazing speech. The loafing is in my book the loafing it will make the hair stand up on your arms he gives a plea at the time it is about to break up to drop the whole idea of a constitution to say we have to begin each session with a prayer we have to pray. He is unconventional and he says if they spero one cannot fault without his notice can empire notice rise without aid . Ended december moving. And it is selling a moving. They are not mormons or baptist. The reverse some there but they were drinking. But what was fascinating was so wind bills. They like the sweet wine but they got all of this done in when they were so sauced. Thanks for these opportunities trying to get a hold of michael on his radio show in is rare and i have not been privileged. Thanks with a history lesson. I have a question on your comment but as a was waiting for our my turn i went to say i appreciate your work even more and i have the slight difference of opinion with you so i will do my homework and regards to your comment about people came to the United States would not necessarily for religious freedom. No code just the programs programs. No, no, no. You were in. I was just speaking about the pilgrims. Many others did come to the United States to avoid religious persecution. The colony of pennsylvania was founded by william penn who is one of the more amazing figures that was a convert to the of quaker faith who are considered the hippies at the time and were ruthlessly persecuted not even in old england but new england they banned them in massachusetts. It was very serious religious persecution and even the catholic family were suffering from the church authority. You were 100 percent correct many people did but my parade was not the programs my point was not the pilgrims. With all of the components that make us that i need to read more of your box. This is great with no commercial breaks. [laughter] i have then in education 45 years of watching the pendulum swing with regards to what makes our country great and i agree with you even though it is such a pleasant thing to say with a difference of opinion with republicans we can have a different plane to a view not feeling that we hate each other but with separation of church and state one of the of positive things going from one extreme to the at third the american miracle rethought its to the future of the ultraconservative people of the pendulum with regards of separation of church and state . The love of our freedom and i am a conservative. This is a great question. And very profound. We should understand the phrase separation does not come from anything in that constitution or the bill of rights or any legal document of the United States but from a letter position jefferson wrote in 18 05 because of the time Baptist America faced religious persecution their pets in the country with the baptist was having a hard time and jefferson wrote back to use the term role of separation bell later in the Supreme Court case they cite to the term and injecting them into jurisprudence. The above his original intention but the main idea of separation is not to protect government against religion a religion from government the idea is jefferson was not worried there would be malicious attempts to take over the government that is why the First Amendment is worded the way that is. Does this say separation but Congress Shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or limiting the free exercise thereof. That is why your first year of law school you learn. They actually emphasize there are two different parts. Five the no establishment and free exercise clause and run against one another. But what was totally unprecedented has been the fact we are a freemarket of ideas this is where john adams was wrong of taxpayer support. Bad idea because then which do we support . The official church . England still has an established church it is the official church of england supported by the government. Nobody goes in the most recent survey says 36 percent of americans go to church at least once a week or more. That is a lot of people in britain it is my 5 we have a magnificent tapestry of religion and yes you can get into arguments on universities and anywhere trying to convert people you can choose. America today, about half that describe themselves as religious are a different denomination than the one of which they were raised. Are there people here that are in different denominations from which you were raised . Yes. It is extremely common in the United States. And why religion is so much stronger and this goes to your point. Establishment clause is very firm and it does not mean with the state religion of atheism. Fin day work this out pretty well and Congress Today thanks to Benjamin Franklin by the way when franklin called for opening every day with prayer, what happened . They said no. Why . They could not afford it. They were out of money with no money in the budget. They would have to pay a pastor. That was the point that hamilton made. But the plaintiff is the point is in the congress they do have chaplains there would always be one in the house this senate now would is everything they have imam , a buddhist priests, monks come every imaginable rabbi, every denomination anise beautiful. From the Religion Foundation is pushing for if they want an atheist who wanted a prayer and as long as he does not use it to attack other religions why not complex quicksand this is the great strength of the country. What if the christian right takes over . I have not heard anybody who wants to enforce biblical lot. Is such a tiny percentage it is such a big country that once all the of population problem but it is one of those if we have religious freedom when they begin in the state of new york that text was dear god, we thank you for this day and for this school for our parents and beloved country. Amen. Is that so terrible . I am not sure that is constitutionally forbidden. Right now that is but i can assure you that any state can disenfranchise people. That any fears that people have to wind blows the one their lockers c. But but anything else with of last question blacks . I am grateful 40 opportunity and i may have mentioned barrett is a second book on the way this is my fourth book in the row. The new book is called this favored land the subtitle is more american miracles. There are stories that just need to be told. Which is completely inexplicable for those who were in the battle of midway. Japanese carriers in four minutes. It could not be used. It was miraculous. As if somebody was guiding our bombs. That was the turning point in world war ii. A decisive battle in history Franklin Roosevelt recognized the role of providence and with his dday pair that is so profoundly religious today if the president spoke like that to say dear god or dear lord protect our young more our young men and said in celebration. This is fdr and so are all the people by the goddess of history in preserving United States of america. Coming back to the 1. O k. Michael medved says god has special protection for america but that doesnt make americans better. It makes us more obligated. Because to loom much is given, much is expected. With great power comes great responsibility as the model of spiderman. And the Government House to demonstrate that. Walter mcdougall a historian taught for many years at the university of pennsylvania. And the professor said try to imagine imagine a mystical time traveler flying dutchman with someone comes into our rumbled world in 1616. Not that long ago. He looks there is islam aggressive and angry fighting and there is china the last empire with tremendous possibilities with the tone of superiority but not much our. The french think they are superior to everyone else particularly in cultural matters. Looked around the world. Russia potential in 1616 or 2016 is what some say it is the country of the future and always will be. [laughter] the only part there is something that this time traveler would not recognize is the United States. Nobody would have thought in terms of military might or economic power but would be n north america up. Yes there were Indian Tribes and cultures but none of those were comparable that the aztecs and the t20 built incans and mayans they were here even before the europeans. Who would have expected america this is why the development is by far the most Historical Development in the last 400 years. The idea is and the influence the country put forth i will try one more story for the books that i did not know before i did this book the story of the name of sam houston. I dont know if there are other fans here but his father was from virginia they moved out to the frontier in north carolina. His father died when he was young. Sam went out and actually has a very young man had a Little Country store. He was the big guy some people say he was a giant. 6foot 2 inches. He runs away to go live with the cherokee indians and is adopted by the cherokee they give them the nickname the raven. One of the things he inherited was a book of translation and is teaching the indians homer of the iliad until he volunteers to fight in the war of 1812. He assayed warrior and with the friendship fort jackson. And to dance in politics becomes a congressman from tennessee and elected at age 34. President jackson says he is the protege. If you have to have a president you have to have a wife. He is the governor of tennessee. He is finally with the most beautiful girl in the state but houston is involved with that indian spirituality that is in is Indian Charity name. Cherokee named us ego is out to and this is the most disastrous wedding night in american history. Theyre all kinds of theories with sam houston and his young bride. The next morning she said she hated him and wanted to kill him. So it did not go well. So the new first lady lease governors used in any he is forced to resign he goes back to live with the indians this new indian name is big trump because he is drinking heavily and drinking is life away. Combination of circumstances encourage him to start a new life that would have been impossible. He meets william stand berry. And accused of stealing from the treasury and from the indians and then starts to beat him with say hickory came from a place of the hickory tree and he fires at sam Houston Point blank at his heart and the gun and misfires he eventually finds his way to texas now there is in a good in eagle he arrives justintime the texas war for independence everybody was massacred 900 americans are captured and santa ana describing himself as napoleon of the west is determined to capture general houston but 18 minutes of conflict and he wins that battle hymn of that doesnt have been texas and new mexico arizona are still part of mexico. But that is a very different america. The idea that houston had god leading him every step if the wedding night would have went better there would not be the independent texas. But the battle that have happened is a far superior force. Unbelievably amazing. We have then enormously blast. Blessed with so many breaks. When somebody wins every single patient in was radon behalf of the United States of america. It is a pleasure to be here. [applause]
comparemela.com © 2020. All Rights Reserved.