Eternal Truth: Eternal Truth Is Enlightenment

By Rear Admiral Joseph H. Miller

We must discover the real world. All generations are struggling for truth! Truth is our heritage and gift to the next generation, so we must support education for all people. Some generations have essentially halted progress, and others are making progress only because of a few.

In our world, we must proclaim religious and free speech. The concept of human liberty is more than 4,000 years old and is repeated by Christ Himself.

We must dare to read, think, speak, and write the truth. Truth is not only violated by falsehood, but also by silence. Ignorance produces the work of monsters. Ignorance is not bliss; it is oblivion. Ignorance is sin, not innocence.

Man is what he believes, coated by either truth or ignorance. Truth demands a basic standard of living for the masses to ensure security and freedom for their development. Man is master of his fate, but he must seek the truth. Truth is on the march, and nothing can stop it!

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Sep 25, 2015
• ISBN: 9781512712865

Rear Admiral Joseph H. Miller

Rear Admiral Joseph H. Miller (MC) USNR retired from the Navy Reserve in 1986 after 34 years (credited with nine years of active duty) Since retirement with annual Permissive Orders he has had consecutive Navy Orders since 1952 or for 63 years. The Permissive Orders included informal visits to Navy hospitals. RADM Miller completed three years as the first reservist to serve as a Deputy Surgeon General, Pentagon, and concurrently as Commander Naval Reserve Force, Force Medical Officer 1983-1986. On active duty, he served as Chief of Neurosurgery, National Naval Medical Center, and subsequently as Chief of Neurosurgery, US Naval Hospital, Da Nang, Vietnam. As a consultant to the Surgeon General RADM Miller chaired a committee of five prominent civilian leaders of neurosurgery to develop a Navy neurosurgical residency. While in the Pentagon, with Dr. Barry, he wrote and staffed the directive for the establishment of Physician Reservists in Medical Universities and Schools. (PRIMUS) RADM Miller has been to Bethesda over 100 times, Yokosuka, Japan 40 times, San Diego 24 times, Pearl Harbor 22 times, and every other Navy Hospital in the world. (For two months, he personally provided neurosurgery coverage at the Tripler Army Medical Center, Hawaii) He served in the Joint Chiefs of Staff (J4) war planning section as the only Flag officer. Later, at his recommendation, a Flag officer billet was established in J4. The first assignment was a Navy Reserve Flag Officer. He had duty with the Commander in Chief Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, December 1982, February 1983, and February 1984. RADM Miller’s Military decorations include: Legion of Merit, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Navy Unit Commendations, Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Unit Citation, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation, Navy Pistol Marksmanship, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Combat Action Ribbon, and Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V. In civilian life RADM Miller practiced Neurosurgery from 1960 through December 2000. He served as Chief of Neurosurgery at Methodist University Hospital, Memphis, and Vice-Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery University of Tennessee and University of Tennessee Training Director in Neurosurgery at the Methodist University Hospital. (1983-2000) RADM Miller was Founder and Director of the Memphis Neurosciences Center at Methodist Hospital and the University of Tennessee. He developed an international academic interchange in Neurosurgery with 27 countries. He is currently on the Voluntary Faculty of USF Medical School, Tampa, Florida. He is certified by the American Board of Neurosurgery and his memberships include: The American Association of Neurological Surgeons, The Society of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, The American College of Surgeons, The Society of Medical Consultants to the Armed Forces. Civilian activities include: Mission Service Corps, The White House, May 1978, served on the Boards of Union University, Mars Hill College, Samford University, and Regions Bank. He has researched and lectured on the Philosophy of War more than ninety-five times. RADM Miller has been a Christian for 74 years, a Southern Baptist Deacon for 64 years, and taught Sunday school for 58 years. He is currently a member of First Baptist Church, Brandon, Florida. He is a 5,258-hour pilot and recently passed the course to be a Coast Guard Captain. He is married to Cathy Miller and they live in Apollo Beach, Florida. He developed 24 Clinical Teaching Systems as a “cerebral computer model”. He was an invited medical lecturer 56 times and had numerous Medical Journal publications. He is a graduate of the Medical College of Georgia with an M.D. degree in 1955 and Mercer University with an AB degree in 1951. He was also a proud graduate of Ludowici

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Copyright © 2015 Joseph H. Miller, MD.

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Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-1287-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-1288-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-1286-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015915390

WestBow Press rev. date: 9/23/2015

CONTENTS

Preface

Prologue

Religious Liberty for Truth and Free Speech

The Great Thoughts

Dedication

A Plea To us All

Acknowledgment

Introduction

A. Indoctrination to the Study

B. Wisdom of the Great Native American Indian Chiefs

C. Well-Springs of Truth

I.         A Ruler Asked a King About Truth

II.        The Search for Truth

III.       Words of Truth

IV.       Knowledge of Truth (The Gospel) Leads to Jesus, Righteousness, and Salvation

V.        The Truth is Jesus and Jesus is Truth

VI.       The Holy Spirit is Truth

VII.      What Does Truth Do For Us?

VIII.     What Must One Know to Know Truth?

IX.        The Commands of Truth?

X.         You Must Study to Know the Answer

XI.        Those Who Shall Abide with God?

XII.       Truth Characteristics of God and Jesus

XIII.      Do Not Err in Truth and Sin

XIV.      A Prayer of Thanksgiving for the Knowledge of Truth

XV.         What is Truth?

XVI.        Jesus ‘Twenty - Three Teachings of Truth

XVII.       What Happened to That, Good Old Time, Hell Fire, and Damnation Preaching?

XVIII.       How Did A Few Great Minds Deal With Truth

XIX.         The Greats of the American Theologians

XX.         Social Gospel and Biblical Illiteracy

XXI.        Other Developments and Leaders Including Those From the World’s Greatest Books

XXII.      Truths for 2000 Years

XXIII.      Dictionary of Quotable Definitions

XXIV.       Previous Enlightenments

A. Philosophical

B. Scientific

C. Political

D. Literature

E. Art

XXV.        Reason in Religion

XXVI.      Original Sin

XXVII.     Freedom of the Human Spirit

XXVIII.    Equality On Earth Is Impossible

XXIX.       Spiritual Thoughts

XXX.         For Truth Go to God’s Word (the Bible)

F. The Old Testament

G. The New Testament

H. The Word Truth in the Bible

XXXI.        Truth in History?

D. Search for Truth

E. Search for Truth in a Person

F. Human Weakness:

XXXII.         Eternal Knowledge

XXXIII.        History’s Rules of Life

1. Seven Deadly Sins

2. Seven Cardinal Virtues

3. Gifts of the Holy Spirit

4. Fruit of the Spirit

5. Four Cardinal Virtues

6. Seven Works of Mercy

A. Seven Spiritual

B. Six Corporal

C. Man’s Character and Mentality

XXXIV.        Enlightenment of the End Times

XXXV.         A Brief Christian Timeline

XXXVI.       The Ending

XXXVII.      Quiz and Answers

References

About the Author

Experience for Writing this Book

PREFACE

What Do Christians Believe?

God did not leave His truth without witnesses at any time. (1892) (37, p. 9)

Jesus is the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity of God the Father, Jesus the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ life on earth, His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension into heaven are proof of God’s love for humanity. God’s forgiveness of human sins and with faith in Jesus one may attain salvation and eternal life. These teachings are seen throughout the Bible and are embedded in it. The Christian religions include: Protestant, Orthodox Eastern, and Roman Catholic. The first century of the Christian church can be assumed from the Scriptures (Bible). Eternal truth is the only important enlightenment, which is the only truth eternal. The second and third hundred years of the church can be derived from the (Didache) Teachings of the Apostles and other religious writings and particularly those written in support (apologia) and justification by writings or witnesses.

The first 250 years of the Christian church could be called a martyrs’ church because of their refusal to worship the state and or the Roman Empire. There were persecutions under Nero, Domitian, Trajan, Maximin, Decius (He ordered the first official persecutions in 256) Valerian, Diocletian, and Galerius.

This all changed and the world was changed in 313 A.D. when Constantine issued the Edict of Milan granting religious tolerance to Christians. There were many controversies in the Christian Church. Constantine could not understand this. In 325 A.D. he called the Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical Council of the Christian Church. Three hundred bishops attended primarily to discuss the nature of Christ, which was not yet defined by the church.

God is the author of the Bible. It is the only truth! There is no error in God’s Word. All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God.

"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. " (Matt. 16:18-19; King James Version, KJV)

"And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ."

(1 Cor. 10:4)

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 3:11)

Jesus saith unto them, "Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The Stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the Corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?" (Matt. 21:42)

As it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a Stumblingstone and Rock of Offence: and whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed. (Rom. 9:33)

The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. (Ps. 118:22-24)

What Did Peter Say?

To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious. Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief Corner Stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the Stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a Stone of Stumbling, and a Rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. (1 Pet. 2:4; 6-8)

Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the Stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:10-12)

The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. (A Psalm of David) Unto Thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if Thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. He only is my rock and my salvation: He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their Redeemer. To shew that the LORD is upright: He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. But the LORD is my defense; and my God is the rock of my refuge. (Psalm 18:2; 28:1; 31:3; 61:2; 62:6, 7, 78:35, 92:15, 94: 22)

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. (Isa. 28:16)

Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He. But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation. Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee. (Deut. 32:3, 4, 15, 18)

And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; (2 Sam. 22:2)

Nothing can be more wrong than to suppose that Christ meant that the person of Peter was the rock. One can see why Jesus rebuked the chief priests, the Pharisees and the elders. Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The Stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the Head of the Corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. (Matt. 21:42-44) To the Sadducees Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. (Matt. 22:29)

Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me. (John 5:39) The learned Dr. Luke recorded that the most noble search the Scriptures. (Acts 17:11) Luke refers to Apollos as an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures. (Acts 18:24)

The Pope: (This is a bit of history for those who are not Catholics.)

There is no unequivocal evidence about the status of the pope in the earliest days in the church. (1, p. 2139)

The issue is related to the interpretation of Matthew 16:18-19, And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

My interpretation of On this rock: Jesus is referring to Himself. It makes no sense to me that He would build his church on doubting Peter.

Peter is dated as Bishop of Rome in 64 or 67 A.D. (He was martyred on Vatican Hill in 64 A.D.) By100 A.D. There were four more Popes: (Linus, Cletus, Clement and Evaristus) From 100 to 200 A.D. there were 10 more Popes: (Alexander, Sixtus, Telesphorus, HyGenius Pius I, Anicetus, Soter, Eleutherus, Victor I, and Zephyrinus). Initially the head of the church was termed bishops. The succession of bishops went back to the Apostles. By the end of the second century the clergy had become an order, which included bishops, presbyters, and deacons.

Antipopes were a problem in the early years. After Cornelius (251-253 A.D.) succeeds Fabian (236–250 A.D.) there is no doubt of the bishops as popes in the successions. An Anti-Pope Novatian is noted in 251 A.D.

Pope Leo I (440-461A.D.) was referred to as the first pope to be called the Great. The Apostles scattered and founded many churches. It is not proved when the multiple bishops organized into one pope. Saint Stephen (254-257A.D.) is recorded as using the term Pope Stephen.

More than 1000 years later (1216 A.D.) the title of Peter was replaced by Pope Innocent III, as the vicar of Christ by the Catholic Church.

The East and West Popes split in 1054 A.D.

In 1309 A.D., Pope Clement V, deserted Rome for Avignon for the denomination of France. This was called Babylonian Captivity (1309-1378). All the popes lived at Avignon under the control of French kings. Pope Gregory XI moved the papacy back to Rome, which caused the Great Schism (1378-1417 A.D.). There were two or three rival popes at the same time. The Schism ended at the Council of Constance (1414-1418). This does not sound like Jesus’ Church.

Pope Pius IX (1846-1878 A.D.), was the longest reigning of any pope, (32 years). At the Vatican Council (1869-1870 A.D.) he had himself declared infallible (morals and doctrine) and reaffirmed the primacy of the See of Rome. The rest in modern history fills newspapers with the corruption (sexual abuse) of the bishops. In the next 300 years there was a series of writers with the greatest influence outside the Bible on the Christian Church. They were the true Fathers of the Church at that time, which includes the greats: Origen, Saint Athanasius, Saint Basil the Great, Saint Gregory of Nyssa, Saint Gregory Nazianzus, Theodoret, and St. John Chrysostom, all writing in Greek. Saint Ambrose, Saint Jerome, and Saint Augustine wrote in Latin. Origen and Jerome were noted by their work in determining and preserving the text of the Bible.

In the seventh and eighth centuries the Eastern Church lost all of Asia except Asia Minor.

Asia is the world’s largest continent with three fifths of the world’s population. (3.3 billion people) Asia borders with Europe to the North Sea and Arctic Ocean, the Black Sea, the Bosporus and the Dardanelles. The connection of Asia with Africa is broken only by the Suez Canal. In far Northeast Asia, Siberia is separated from North America by the Bering Strait. Asia is bordered on the south by the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. It borders in the east by the South China Sea, East China Sea, Yellow Sea, Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, and the Bering Sea, and on the north by the Arctic Ocean.

Asia is divided into six Regions:

1. Southwest Asia includes Asia Minor, (Iran, Turkey), nations of the Fertile Crescent, and the Arabian Peninsula, or Arabia. They have great petroleum reserves and irrigated agriculture. This area is predominately Islam. (Asia Minor is a great peninsula, extreme West Asia includes Asia, Turkey, ‘Anatolia’, and to the north is the Black Sea and in the south is the Mediterranean Sea, and the Aegean Sea in the west.)

2. South Asia includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Indonesia, and the nations of the Indian subcontinent.

3. Southeast Asia includes the East Indies and the Philippines.

4. East Asia includes China, Mongolia, Korea, and the Islands of Taiwan and Japan. This is the middle of the Pacific Ocean. This is the most industrialized region of Asia.

5. Russian Asia includes Siberia and the Russian Far East.

6. Central Asia is a set of independent formal Republics of the Soviet Union: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. (1, p. 170)

Christianity is stronger than the Caesars. (311 A.D.) The pen can cut deeper than the sword. (313 A.D.) (37, p. 39)

PROLOGUE

We must discover the real world and then find the truths in God’s world. (Kingdom of Heaven) We must discover the cyber images already in our hearts and brains, which gives us the truths and power to create the paths of our own lives revealed to us as God’s will for us. We follow this path for our life. Faith is not a mere belief, it is also an obedience to it. (1495 A.D.) (37, p. 158)

Our intuition now reveals to us bloated egos of leadership at multiple levels. It reveals the congressional floor politics as to what it usually is, politics. (May the best man win?) In all generations there are those who know right from wrong (evil) and are struggling for the truth! When we make the discovery of truth in ourselves we become productive. We make both large and small waves that proceed to the next generation as waves for them to make into their waves. Truth is our heritage to the next-generation. When we develop through the education of our own generation it builds, starting at a higher level in the next generation because of us. You see, education is not just for the individual, truth is our heritage and gift to the next generation. We must support education for all people.

In my study of history I see the main changes of history as occurring over several generations. Some generations have essentially stopped any real progress and others are making much progress, usually because of a few people.

If you do not understand, you are not of the Truth!

He that is of God heareth God’s Words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. (John 8:47)

Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice. (John 18:37)

When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. (Matt. 13:19, 23)

"We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error." (I John 4:6)

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me. (Rev. 3:20)

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (Rev. 22:17)

"And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe." (John 19:35)

"And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God." (Matt. 27:51-54)

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. (Rom. 8:16)

We know it, because we know it!

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY FOR TRUTH AND FREE SPEECH

In this world we must proclaim religious and free-speech liberty for truth. Religious liberty has been a concept for hundreds of years that has required fighting for truth and actions. In my review of religious writing of the last 200 years, Truth is a condition 52 times. It has been a significant subject for many years.

I counted twenty-seven references to "liberty" in the King James Bible. A few are quoted here:

"And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family." (Lev. 25:10)

"And I will walk in liberty: for I seek Thy precepts. I will speak of Thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed. I will delight myself in Thy commandments, which I have loved." (Ps. 119: 45-47)

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; e hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. (Luke 4: 18, 19) Jesus quotes Isaiah 61:1, 2. The concept of human liberty is more than 4,000 years old and repeated by Christ Himself.

Martin Luther (1483-1546) is usually credited with the rise of modern individual freedom. His defiant words brought free modern individual freedom first into site. His conscience is only captive to the word of God. This began the advance of modern individual freedom. (42, pp. 69-70)

Roger Williams (1603-1683) founded the settlement of Providence, Rhode Island, in 1638. The first Baptist church in America was founded here in 1639. (37, p. 291) The cornerstone was absolute religious liberty. Charles II in his charter made this the first government in the world founded on absolute religious liberty. (37, p. 290) There was to be absolute liberty for all. God gave soul liberty to us all. He observed that the Church and State were so interblended that the identity of each was in danger of being lost. He grasped the principal that Church and State should be entirely separate and independent of each other. (37, p. 289) He taught that religious liberty denied the right of government to interfere.

Another bit of interesting history on religious liberty occurred after the 1848 revolution in Germany. The new constitution adopted in Prussia in 1850 provides in article 12, Freedom of religious confession, of meeting religionist societies, and of the common exercise of religion in private and in public is guaranteed, 1850. (37, p. 399)

"And ye were now turned, and had done right in My sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name: Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto Me, in proclaiming liberty, everyone to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth." (Jer. 34:15, 17)

"Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." (Rom. 8:21)

"Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man’s conscience?" (1 Cor. 10:29)

"Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (2 Cor. 3:17)

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." (Gal. 5:1) Liberty threatened by legalism.

"But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty." (James 1:25; James 2:12)

"As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God." (1 Peter 2:16)

"While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage." (2 Peter 2:19)

Luther began the Reformation with the fundamental doctrines of human nature with liberty and freedom of the will, faith, justification, and the authority of the Scriptures. (37, pp. 158, 161) Modern men of all Christian denominations advocate the right of all men to worship God, each according to the dictates of his own conscience, without hindrance of any earthly power. (37, p. 213) The Confession of 1644 is the first publication of the doctrine of freedom of conscience, 1644. (37, p. 212)

The Russian author Dostoevsky (1821-1881) had one theme: The gift of freedom and will given to man and his tragic abuse of it. (42, p. 145) The ultimate evil is the denial of human freedom dignity. (42, p. 146) In Christ we find perfect freedom and the creative fulfillment of will. (42, p. 146)

Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. (James 5:4)

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) said, Churches must exercise Christian liberty, even liberty to disobey Christ. (37, p. 264)

The right of liberty for humans (God’s Creation) cannot be denied from the Word of God or from Christ Himself.

The liberty and freedom of men’s conscience. There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it. (Eccl. 8:8)

This country was founded on the concept of religious liberty. Baptists in colonial America struggled for religious liberty. It was the enlightenment thoughts of religious liberty of Thomas Jefferson, John Locke, Isaac Backus, John Leland, and political thinkers like James Madison, Patrick Henry, and George Washington. (28, p.253) Baptists had a large and diverse family organized into over 250 conventions or unions. The name Baptist is so broad and inclusive as to require some adjective to the question, What kind of Baptist? (28, pp. 702-703)

We are a nation of immigrants. In 2000 A.D. there were about 1 million new immigrants per year arriving in America. The 1980’s we were dubbed as the, Decade of the Hispanics. (28, p. 735) Franklin D. Roosevelt said, If one should trace their genealogy it would be discovered that we are all immigrants. (28, p. 724)

There must be a strong incentive in American evangelization in winning the new nation to Christ. Every Sunday, Baptists in America will sing and preach in more than eighty different languages. (28, p. 724)

The numbers are mind-boggling. It has been reported that there were in 1985, 22, 189 denominations in the world. (45, p. 14)

THE GREAT THOUGHTS

This starts with the question that we all must answer in this modern age. Should we obey God or man? Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. (Acts 5: 29)

• Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write. John Adams, (1735-1826). (2, p.6)

• Truth is not only violated by falsehood, it may be outraged by silence. Henri Frederic Amiel, (1821-1881). (2, p. 11)

• All political parties die at least of swallowing their own lies. Dr. John Arbuthnot, (1667-1735). (2, p. 15)

• Liberty of speech inviteth and provoketh liberty to be used again, and so bringeth much to man’s knowledge. Francis Bacon, (1561-1626). (2, p. 27)

• Ignorant classes are the dangerous classes. Ignorance produces the work of monsters. Henry Ward Beecher, (1813-1887). (2, p. 38)

• Ignorance is not innocence, but sin. Robert Browning, 1812-1889). (2, p. 54)

• I appeared, I fought, God conquered.(1547) Charles V. (1500-1588). (2, p. 74)

• Man is what he believes, coated by truth or ignorance. (1896) Anton Chekhov, (1860-1904). (2, p.77)

• Has the church failed mankind, or has mankind failed the church? Thomas S. Eliot, (1888-1965). (2, p. 121)

• The Christian ideal, Truth, demands a basic standard for living for the masses of people, adequate to assure security and freedom for their development of spiritual values. (1923) (Federal Council of Churches). (2, p. 135)

• Eighty percent of mankind is stuff to fill graves with. (1926) Ford Madox Ford. (2, p. 139)

• We hold that the greatest right in the world is the right to be wrong, that in that exercise thereof people have an inviolable right to express their unbridled thoughts on all topics and personalities, being liable only for the use of that right. (1924) William Randolph Hearst, (1863-1951). (2, p. 177)

• Tradition does not mean that the living are dead; it means that the dead are living. (1958) Harold McMillan, (2, p. 260)

• The only freedom which deserves the name, is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it.(1859) John Stuart Mills, (1806-1873). (2, p. 287)

• The heart has its reasons which reason does not understand. Blaise Pascal, (1623-1662). (2, p. 323)

• In the mind there is no absolute or free will. Baruch Spinoza, (1632-1677). (2, p. 395)

• We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another. Jonathan Swift, (1667-1745). (2, p. 403)

• I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.(1770) Voltaire, (1694-1778). (2, p. 434)

• For man is man and master of his fate, but he must seek the truth. (1859). Alfred Lord Tennyson, (2, p. 409)

• The man who asks of freedom anything other than itself is born to be a slave. Tocqueville, (1805-1859). (2, p. 419)

• The Rights of Man are the Rights of God; to vindicate the one is to maintain the other. Theobald Wolfe Tone, (1763-1798). (2, p. 421)

• At times to be silent is to lie. Miguel De Unamuno, (1864-1936). (2, p. 426)

• All human beings are born free and equal, in dignity and rights. (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948), (2, p.427)

• Passion and prejudice govern the world; and only under the name of reason.(1770) John Wesley, (1703-1791). (2, p. 444)

• Whoever degrades another degrades me. (1872) Whatever satisfies the soul is truth. Walt Whitman (1819-1892). (2, p. 447)

• Apathy is a vice. Oscar Wilde, (1854-1900). (2, p. 453)

• A deaf, dumb, and blind idiot could have made a better world than this. (1971) Tennessee Williams (1914-1983). (2, p. 454)

• Freedom is an indivisible word. (Cannot be divided) If we want to enjoy it, and fight for it, we must be prepared to extend it to everyone, whether they are rich or poor, whether they agree with us or not, no matter what their race or the color of their skin. Wendell L. Willkie, (1892-1944). (2, p. 454)

• Ignorance is not bliss, it is oblivion. (Lacks mindful attention) (1941) Philip Wylie, (1902-1971). (2, p. 461)

• Will Durant (1885-1981) and his wife Ariel:

Might is the only right. (39, p. 39)

Sin flourishes in every age. (39, p. 40)

We can forgive, but not forget sins.(39, p. 41)

All historians respect religion. (39, p. 43)

Patriotism without a higher loyalty can lead to greed and crime. (39, p. 44)

The idea of hell has disappeared from educated thoughts. (39, p. 47)

For centuries taxes have been protested because they support the lazy and incompetent. (39, p. 62)

Higher taxes for hundreds of years lack all to finance a swelling band of government employees. (39, p. 63)

Also there has been private plunder and public profit. (39, p. 63)

"East is West and West is East, but now they