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Recently, a group of young people from an organization called Young Patriots For Liberty (YPL) asked to interview me. I was happy to oblige. I am always excited when I see young people getting involved in the political process—especially Christian young people. So, I am going to use today’s column to review the questions they asked me, along with my answers.
—Begin interview—
(YPL) What inspired you to get into politics?
(Me) One cannot engage the salient issues affecting our liberties without entering the political arena. I actually despise politics, but, unfortunately, the people who influence politics also influence liberty principles—either positively or negatively—hence the need to be politically involved. But, specifically, the election of Bill Clinton in 1992 inspired me to begin my radio talk show, “Chuck Baldwin Live.” Virtually every door that opened for my political involvement from that time forward was the result of that radio talk show.
(YPL) What caused you to affiliate yourself with a third-party group as opposed to the Republican Party?
(Me) The short answer is G.H.W. Bush, Bob Dole, G.W. Bush, and their ilk. I came to realize that the establishment neocon Republicans were actually working in concert with the Big-Government globalist agenda (just like establishment Democrats), and after realizing that, I could no longer in good conscience blindly support them. Now I judge political candidates on their individual merits, not their political affiliation. Over the years, I have endorsed and voted for Republicans, Democrats, and Independents.
(YPL) In your opinion, what is the future of the Constitution Party?
(Me) All third parties have a very difficult time growing into a formidable political force, simply because the two major parties and the media lock them out of the process. There is no such thing as free and fair elections in America. The system is rigged so that the only players who can competitively participate are those from the two establishment parties. They control the rules, and the rules make it next to impossible for a third party to build enough momentum to succeed. (The closest that anyone in recent memory came to upsetting the two-party applecart was the independent billionaire Ross Perot.) I found that out up close and personal when I ran for President on the Constitution Party ticket in 2008. The media locked me out of their news shows, talk shows, etc., and in spite of being on enough State ballots to theoretically be able to win the presidency, I was also locked out of the presidential debates. Without equal access to news shows, talk shows, TV debates, etc., the vast majority of the American people remain ignorant of third-party candidates, and if they are aware of them, they hold the notion that independent candidates cannot win, and, therefore, they are dismissed out of hand. It is a steep uphill battle for the Constitution Party—and for every third party.
(YPL) In your opinion, what is one of the best ways to interest young people in learning about the Constitution?
(Me) Again, the entire establishment (media, education, political, etc.) denies constitutionalists and freedomists a public platform from which to articulate their views. The only way independents like us are able to reach people with the message of peace, limited government, liberty, sound money principles, etc., is to develop our own methods of outreach that are outside of the establishment media—which is what many of us have done. This means that, for the most part, we are an underground movement. Only very occasionally will the establishment media, education and political systems allow people like us to have access to the bulk of their audiences. I’ve often said, the problem in our country is NOT that young people have rejected the principles of liberty and constitutional government; it is that they have never heard those principles. But every time I have an opportunity to be heard by young people, the message is almost always received enthusiastically by many of them.
(YPL) What do you see as one of the most common and detrimental misunderstandings of the Constitution?
(Me) The so-called separation of church and state is a big one. This deception has all but silenced pastors and Christians and—along with the 501c3 non-profit tax exempt status for churches—made them virtually irrelevant to the freedom fight. There is no such “separation of church and state” doctrine in the Constitution. That phrase doesn’t even appear in the Constitution. It is found in a personal letter written by Thomas Jefferson to a group of Baptist folks in Danbury, Connecticut. And Jefferson’s letter was simply an assurance to the Baptists that the Constitution protected their religious liberty. The idea that the First Amendment meant that religious folks were forbidden from being politically involved is ludicrous. Colonial pastors were as engaged in the politics of early America as any other group of Americans—maybe more so. A Baptist pastor name John Leland had as much to do with the inclusion of the First Amendment in our Constitution as James Madison. A pastor’s signature is affixed to the U.S. Declaration of Independence: John Witherspoon from New Jersey. The First Amendment was written to ensure that America would recognize every citizen’s right of religious liberty, NOT to prevent citizens from exercising their religious liberties.
(YPL) How would you answer the question “What Makes America Great?”
(Me) Adherence to the Natural Laws of God, a reverential fear of God, fidelity to the principles contained in the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights, and the requirement that both citizen and civil magistrate are people of honesty and humility who hate bribes and are not motivated by blind ambition, greed, or the lust for power. It is not wealth that makes America great; it is personal character. “America is great because America is good,” Alexis De Tocqueville is quoted as saying. He is further quoted as saying, “If America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.” I say “Amen” to that.
(YPL) In your opinion, what are a couple issues that my generation will have to overcome?
(Me) I’ll give you three:
1. The American economic system is corrupt, unsustainable, and could come crashing down at any time. The Federal Reserve system is designed to keep the international bankers rich at the expense of the common person. America cannot abide unbridled deficit spending by our corrupt politicians (of both parties) in Washington, D.C., and the repudiation of sound money principles on Wall Street and inside the Beltway forever. Sooner or later, accounts will come due.
2. Both parties in Washington, D.C. are in reality ONE party: the War Party. Every presidential administration and Congress—Republican or Democrat—increases America’s Warfare State exponentially. We have never been closer to global nuclear war than we are right now, and neither political party has any intention of stopping it. Politicians are puppets for war profiteers, and there is nothing that reaps profits for the military/industrial/security/surveillance industries like war. General Smedley Butler (USMC) was right: War is a racket!
3. Millennials are being overtaken by secularism, atheism, and, in some cases, the occult. Anything that opposes Christianity. I truly understand some of the reasons why this is happening. My generation of Christian leaders stopped preaching the uncompromising truth of the Gospel—truth that when properly preached, gives young people (and everyone else) peace and purpose. Instead, preachers have focused on prosperity theology, recreation evangelism, and turning churches into little more than glorified social clubs. And they have lost a generation of young people in the process. Regardless, if Millennials continue down the road of paganism, they are going to reap the bitter consequences of oppression and servitude. True Christianity is a bulwark of freedom; paganism intrinsically leads to tyranny.
(YPL) What is your advice to those young people who may not see the importance of staying informed about the issues or being politically active?
(Me) Young people have more to lose than anyone else by being uninformed or indifferent. Their entire future is at stake. The kind of jobs they are able to have, the kind of homes they are able to buy, the kind of families they are able to raise, and the kind of freedoms they are able to enjoy all depend on them being eternally vigilant to safeguard the principles of liberty upon which our country was built.
(YPL) What is your encouragement to young people who love America and want to make a difference in our nation?
(Me) Despite all of the ground freedom has lost in this country, America still affords young people a greater opportunity to change things for the better than anywhere else in the world. The power of America still resides with We the People. Should a generation of young people truly awaken to the principles of liberty enshrined in our Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights, they still have the opportunity to re-establish those principles for their posterity.
—End interview—
Here is the website for Young People For Liberty:
Young Patriots For Liberty
For the sake of these young people, and for all of my readers, I would like to suggest the following materials to help young people (and anyone else) get on track with the foundation of America’s liberties. And, yes, I carry each of these materials in my online store.
*“Second Treatise of Government”
By John Locke
Second Treatise Of Government
I believe John Locke's “Second Treatise of Government” is the most succinct explanation of Natural Law in print. Locke has affectionately been called “The Father of America’s Founding Fathers” because his writings had so much influence in early America.
America’s Founding Fathers and colonial pastors were well acquainted with the principles of Natural Law. Our entire form of government is predicated upon God’s Natural laws. Natural Law reveals God as Creator; Revealed Law (the Holy Scriptures) reveals God as Redeemer. And I personally believe that one cannot fully understand and appreciate God’s Revealed Law without at least a rudimentary knowledge of God’s Natural Law.
The understanding of Natural Law is what is missing from both our religious and political institutions today. Without this understanding, the American experiment in liberty and independence cannot even be comprehended—much less maintained.
This is the first book one should read to learn the liberty principles of Natural Law.
*“Lex, Rex, Or The Law And The Prince”
By Rev. Samuel Rutherford
Lex, Rex, Or The Law And The Prince
Originally published in 1644 by Scottish Presbyterian minister Reverend Samuel Rutherford, "Lex, Rex" defends the rule of law and the lawfulness of defensive wars against tyrants and advocates limited government and constitutionalism. This book contains masterful, in-depth research. It is not a short read, but it is worth every minute.
*“George Washington’s Farewell Address”
George Washington's Farewell Address
Prior to retiring from public life, President George Washington wanted the entire nation to have access to his farewell address, so he had it printed in the “American Daily Advertiser” on September 19, 1796. In it he warned against foreign entanglements, political factions (parties), and sectionalism and promoted religion, morality, and education.
Washington's Farewell Address is a masterpiece. Almost every national problem America has faced and is facing is a direct result of forsaking the principles laid out for us in this remarkable address. I consider Washington’s Farewell Address to be the greatest political address ever delivered to the American people. A return to the principles contained in Washington's Farewell Address would most certainly restore our republic—even now.
Immerse yourself in Washington’s Farewell Address.
And here are three of my message DVDs that I believe are pertinent to this discussion:
*The Biblical Standard For Government
The Biblical Standard For Government
Sadly, what we mostly hear from church people today is, "All we need to do is elect Christians to public office." But that is hardly the solution. Christian officeholders are often as tyrannical in their approach to politics as the unchurched—sometimes more so. In this message, I examine and explain the scriptural requirements for civil magistrates and the duty of Christians toward them.
*Biblical And Natural Law Principles Regarding War
Biblical And Natural Law Principles Regarding War
In this message, I explain the Biblical and Natural Law principles of both just and unjust war. I also cite important principles of Natural Law as written in Emer de Vattel's monumental work "The Law Of Nations" (published in 1758). This book along with John Locke's "Two Treatises Of Government" (published in 1689) were the two works that most influenced the writing of America's Declaration of Independence and federal constitution.
Nations that recklessly ignore God's immutable laws regarding Just War are destined to incur the judgment of God. America will NOT be the exception to this rule. America's evolution into a global empire since the end of World War II has only augmented the propensity of America to entangle itself more and more frequently and more and more deeply into the political affairs of foreign countries—which leads America to fight more and more unjust wars in the name of protecting its global empire.
Sadder still is the way that a majority of America's pastors and preachers seem to have no cognizance of God's Natural and Scriptural laws regarding Just War and, therefore, are often the country's biggest cheerleaders for unjust wars.
*“If The Foundations Be Destroyed, What Can The Righteous Do?”
"If The Foundations Be Destroyed, What Can The Righteous Do?"
In this message, I show that America's foundations are being destroyed. I list 25 of the foundational principles upon which America was built that either have been destroyed already or are quickly being destroyed. The message will help anyone to have a much clearer understanding of how America's foundations are being destroyed and what Christians should be doing about it.
I wish the Young Patriots For Liberty all the best.
© Chuck Baldwin
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