The Lie and the Light: America/Divided

By James Ellsberry

The Lie and the Light examines six lies that have misled many to reject the truth claims of God, in favor of the false promises and lies of this world.

Our nation was conceived by people who risked their lives and fortunes to establish Christianity in a new world. They believed the Holy Bible is the source of all truth. The men who authored the Constitution of the United States were Christians and God’s Word is the standard by which all things were measured. Did that make them perfect? Of course not. Corruptible? Hypocritical? No more, or less than we. The point is, they agreed on the direction of the country. The standard they used is incorruptible. We have strayed from that standard and that has become a problem!

To get to the root cause of the bitterness, violence, and unforgiving tone that grips America, we must acknowledge that our growing disbelief, seeing God as irrelevant, gives license to sinful behavior and hateful attitudes. If there are no sacred moral or ethical standards, no consequences enforced for violating the law, then chaos reigns. If all beliefs are equally valid, the law of the jungle will prevail.

The worldview of those putting their faith in the authority of humankind severely opposes the worldview of those faithfully placing their trust in the universal authority of The Creator. We are engaged in an epic struggle for the heart and soul of America.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781973655770

James Ellsberry

Jim Ellsberry, Prince’s Lakes, IN, was born in Terre Haute in 1936, Graduate of Garfield High School (1954), Indiana State University, B.S. (1958), M.S. (1960), Michigan State University Ed. S. (1964) Honorable discharge from the United States Army (1963) He and Doris were married in 1961, raised one son and three daughters, have three grandchildren, and recently became great grandparents. His career as teacher, counselor, coach and administrator included experiences ranging in scope from K-12 in the public schools, to higher education, including years at Butler University and Indiana Wesleyan University, Elder, New Beginnings Community Church, Franklin, IN Fishing, yard work, golf, writing, and following the Colts, Pacers, Butler Bulldogs, Cardinals, and Cubs on TV—life is good! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

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Copyright © 2019 James Ellsberry.

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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

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ISBN: 978-1-9736-5576-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-5575-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-5577-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019902874

WestBow Press rev. date: 3/28/2019

Acknowledgments

My gratitude to Pastor Bruce Bendinger, and elders, Rick Ransdell and Dave Julius, at New Beginnings Community Church, Franklin, IN, for their support and encouragement as I struggled to get this book completed.

A special thank you to Dan Snow, Brown County Career Center, for sharing his knowledge and experience as an author and publisher. Thanks to my wife, Doris, and our children, Stephen, Lee Anne, and Karen Michelle; they always offer strength and confidence when I’m about ready to throw in the towel.

And to Howard and Dorothy, and my sister Marianne; they loved me when I wasn’t worthy.

All praise and glory to God, who answered my prayers when I was lost, provided words when they wouldn’t come, and has given me the courage to speak out in His Truth.

Nothing is accomplished in a vacuum; this book would never have been published without those mentioned above reminding me that the gift I have was given to be shared with others.

Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. (Matthew 5:15)

JLE

Contents

Prologue: The Lie that Destroys

Introduction

PART ONE

Conflicting Worldviews: What is Truth?

What is Truth? Why it Matters

In the Beginning: Sin Enters the World

The Nature of Sin: Twisting the Truth

A Blind Man’s Walk: Seeking Truth

Who Is God? Truth Revealed

Who is Jesus? God in Human Flesh

PART TWO

America the Beautiful: Taken Captive by the Lie

Six Lies: That Changed America

1859 - Charles Darwin: Children of God or the Goo?

The Spread of Darwinism: Social Consequences

The Spread of Darwinism: Unintended Consequences

The Spread of Darwinism: Public Education and Socialism

1953 - Hugh Hefner: The Playboy Culture

1963 - Madalyn Murray O’Hair: God Expelled from School

1971 - The Pentagon Papers: Lies Revealed

1973 - Roe v. Wade: Abortion on Demand

Sphere Sovereignty: Trashing Individual Rights

PART THREE

Religion on Trial

Religion or Humanism: How Shall Christians Testify?

Epilogue: Four Warning Signals

Sources and Citations

Other Books by Jim

The Gift: Poetry, Prose, and Prayer

Testimony of the King: 20 Reasons Jesus Came to Earth

Dark Souls: Subscribing to Evil

These books are available online. Type the author’s name in the online search box and you will be directed to a window for reviewing these titles.

The Gift was published in 2015 and features poems, prayers, and essays by the author inviting readers to reflect on the events and the people who shaped their lives through the good times and the bad. It has achieved a 5-star rating.

Testimony of the King released in 2016 uses Jesus’ own words to explain why he came to earth. His message is as relevant today as it was more than 2,500 years ago.

Dark Souls, published 2017, is a fictional tale of a white boy captured and raised by Indians. The period covers actual historical events in the Northwest Territory between 1776 and 1816 when Indiana became the 19th State of the Union. History—adventure—drama!

Prologue:

he Lie that Destroys

America is succumbing to a lie. It’s a subtle lie, as old as humanity itself. It’s the innate trust we have in ourselves. The belief that our human powers, intelligence, imagination, creativity, courage, and physical skills are sufficient to overcome any challenge that confronts us, just bring it on! Clearly, we are the dominant species, masters over all creatures on earth.

This belief has plagued humankind from its earliest beginnings; we keep repeating the same mistake again and again. Great civilizations rise, but eventually, the lie takes captive the hearts and minds of the people. Although remnants will remain, most of what was achieved will have been poisoned.

The Roman Empire (27 BC-1453 AD), Ancient Egypt (3150 BC-30 BC), Ottoman Empire (1299-1908 AD), and Chinese Empire (221 BC-1912 AD), all prevailed thousands of years longer than has the United States. Their stories are well documented; no need for details. The point is that history reveals we humans have been incapable of sustaining any form of government indefinitely.

Never, before 1776, had a people voluntarily assembled themselves to form a government based on the concept of self-rule, emphasizing the unalienable rights of individual citizens. The great American experiment, it has been called, and that fact alone has made America vulnerable to suffer from internal strife. The record makes clear, the prideful egos of all but a handful of sultans, kings, and monarchs have been no better than brutish dictators and despots, that through the centuries, even to the present, have shown no qualms about starving, torturing, imprisoning, and murdering citizens daring to question even a word of their authority.

So, the question becomes: When faced with a sorely divided people, corruption and failure in high places, will a democratic republic, constituted on principles of equality for all, under the law, a government of The People and by The People, confront the lie that can destroy it?

This book is a bold attempt to bring to light six examples of lies that have deceived us, divided our society, placing America at risk from the inside out. While in the process of revising the book, four essential facets of democracy were attacked. (December 2018-February 2019)

…The principle of equal justice under the law

…Enforcement of federal law by the states

…Challenging the sovereignty of U.S. borders

…The authority to render judgment

Each of these issues is addressed within the body of the text; however, each so clearly exemplifies the emotional intensity around which its argument is framed that specific examples have been included in the Epilogue.

Dynasties, empires, and kingdoms before us, have swallowed the lie and ignored the Truth. The question before us today should concern all that love America.

—A house divided cannot stand.—

Introduction

When asked about the direction in which America appears to be headed, roughly two-thirds of us believe we’re headed in the wrong direction. This is old news; opinion polls have reported this disconnect for more than a decade. Getting two-thirds of Americans to agree on anything is rather astonishing. The problem with getting agreement on this question is that it doesn’t reveal anything about which direction we should be headed. Left, right, up, down, east, west, is there any agreement on what people believe is the proper path? Is it possible to restore a sense of unity and civility that would enable our government to function as our Forefathers intended? Gridlock in Washington has become a problem!

Politics has long been recognized as a rough game, played primarily by those with big egos, thick skin, and mostly good intentions. Those brave souls entering the game, lacking those prerequisite qualities, toughen up quickly, or they’re one and done. In the early years of our nation’s history, those bold enough to serve never dreamed of making a lifetime career of politics. Now it’s commonplace for individuals to serve in Washington, D.C., the entirety of their adult lives. This phenomenon has become a problem!

Compounding that matter is the increasing number of Americans dependent on the elect of Capitol Hill to solve their problems. Too many have been taught to believe they’re entitled to government handouts, rather than pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Relying on the government to provide for us from the cradle to the grave has become a problem!

America, from its beginning, has been a nation founded on the principle that everyone has an equal right to protection under the law. Our Forefathers recognized the fallen nature of humans. We are flawed; we can’t be trusted to always do what is right. They acknowledged that evil exists in the hearts of mankind; therefore, our Constitution was amended to include a Bill of Rights protecting citizens from evil overreach by government.

Unfortunately, we’re seeing that those who are the elect, are unwilling to bring charges against colleagues, who appear to have clearly violated federal law(s), thereby, establishing a double standard under the laws of the land. This inequity has become a problem!

Our Forefathers debated, argued, even resorted to fist fights, over issues they understood were crucial to laying the foundation for a government of The People, for The People, and by The People. Never, in mankind’s history, had self-government been attempted.

These men were Christians. The Holy Bible, God’s Word, was the standard by which all things were measured. Did that make them perfect? Of course not. Were they corruptible, hypocritical? No more, or less than we. The point is, they agreed on the direction for the country. The standard they used is incorruptible. We have strayed from that standard; that has become a problem!

The intent of the message that is the foundation of this book, is simply to put forth evidence of game-changing moments in our nation’s history, that have led many to reject the truth claims of God, in favor of the false promises and lies of this world. Whether anyone likes it, or not, the principles upon which our nation was conceived were authored by men – men who believed in the Word of God, recorded in the Holy Bible as the source of all Truth. The elegance of their words expresses their faith and trust in their Creator.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. —— Second Continental Congress, July 4, 1776

To get to the root cause of the bitterness, violence, and unforgiving tone that grips America, we must acknowledge that our growing disbelief, seeing God as irrelevant, gives license to sinful behavior and hateful attitudes. If there are no sacred, moral, or ethical standards, no consequences enforced for violating the law, then chaos reigns. If every person’s beliefs are equally valid, the law of the jungle will prevail.

Sin is not a popular word in America, let alone any serious discussion about its consequences. That has become a problem!

PART ONE

Conflicting Worldviews:

What is Truth?

For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice. Jesus of Nazareth. (John: 18:37)

Jesus also said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6)

J esus is telling us that he, personally, is the Truth. I accept that these and other verses clearly present Jesus as the embodiment of truth. From this point forward when you find the word truth capitalized it’s being used to identify Jesus personally, or to identify God, the Father, as the source of all Truth.

What is Truth?

Why it Matters

V eritology is a word you won’t find in the dictionary. It’s a word introduced by Del Tackett, host of the DVD series The Truth Project , produced by Focus on the Family (2006). Dr. Tackett was looking for a word to define the study of truth. A little research led him to explain how he was able to coin the word. He decided to combine the Latin term for truth, veritas with the derivation of the Greek suffix, logos and the merger resulted in Veritology , the study of t ruth. "

Why does truth matter? The answer seems obvious. In the absence of truth there is only confusion and chaos. Without Truth (God’s Truth with a capital T), anyone’s version of what is true is as good as the next. Certainly, groups of like-minded people could agree on a version of truth that satisfies them, but then how many other groups would disagree, believing it’s their version of the truth that should be accepted? You see the problem.

There are individuals and groups who worship at the altar of tolerance in the flawed belief that all views should be respected equally. I can’t agree. When talking about what is true, let’s not mistakenly believe that tolerance means all versions of truth among mankind are equally valid. We’re living in a time when it’s fashionable for individuals and groups to declare themselves and their agendas to be all kinds of things. You can declare yourself a rabbit and organize a pride day parade. Your right to do so is respected and guaranteed by the First Amendment, Constitution of the United States. It doesn’t guarantee any truth.

In America, we’ve reached a point where it’s become nearly impossible to separate truth from fiction or separate fiction from outright lies. Never, in human history, have people had immediate access twenty-four hours a day to breaking news. Satellites, the internet, social media, personal computers, and iPHONEs, have combined to provide words and images from almost any location on earth. The speed of modern communication technology is measured in nanoseconds (one billionth of a second). It has revolutionized communication on all levels.

Like most things, whatever has the potential to be a strength, when overdone, becomes a liability. This is true of present-day communication. It’s fast, timely, and accurate. All are essential elements of communication. The element that has become the stumbling block is accuracy. Technology is extremely accurate in its capacity to send, receive, and retrieve information. But, so far, in its development, it can only process what the human operator provides in the way of input—garbage in, garbage out. Voila! Fake news! Lies, scammers, hackers—trouble.

As a communications tool, social media has demonstrated unprecedented appeal around the globe. People everywhere are interacting with devices that put almost all information right at their fingertips. It should be revolutionizing how, when, and where our children are educated. A fantastic tool, unlimited opportunity, but there is a dark side to the miracles of modern technology.

Facebook, Twitter, email, YouTube, so many options available for anyone desiring to post personal news items, including photos, videos, or share an article of interest with friends or relatives. Harmless fun, convenient, staying connected is a good thing. But not so fast. The evils supported by the internet include cyberbullying, pornography, stolen identity, and misinformation. We see and understand the truth about the ugly side of humanity.

There’s another internet phenomenon, subtler in its impact on society than the three cited above. It’s become known as urban legends. Stories are circulated on the internet posing as fact. Usually, the information carries a grain of truth, but the goal is to sensationalize, exaggerate, distort the truth and inflame the issue. Some are humorous, but frequently they target the credibility of leaders of political parties, government policies, the police, or racial, ethnic, and religious issues. Such stories seldom identify a specific source or a byline; nevertheless, intelligent people are duped by urban legends, especially when the target is someone or something they don’t like in the first place.

When the impact of urban legends is coupled with the unbridled power of biased internet platforms that can censor posts they don’t like, silencing voices that disagree with their