Why America is Great and Why it's Declining and How to Fix it
September 12, 2021
In this episode of the Affirm America Podcast we look at how America became great, the founding fathers spirit and values of religious freedom created the greatest nation on God's green earth, why it's declining and the pathway to bring it back to an even greater nation than before.
sign up for episode updates: https://affirmamerica.com
Contact Marquis at marquis@affirmamerica.com
The settlement project https://sp12.org
Contact Dr Frank Kaufmann: kaufmann.nyc@gmail.com
Marquis: This is the affirm America podcast where we stand up and speak out. Affirming american excellence coming to you deep in the heart of the midwest, located in an undisclosed log cabin on the outskirts of town. Your host, Marquis Vandermark. Welcome Welcome Welcome to the Affirm America podcast. I am your host, Marquis Vandermark. And yes, I am deep in the heart of the Midwest, Inside a log cabin in an undisclosed location on the outskirts of town. Thank you very much for joining me today. The weather here in the midwest is absolutely changing. We're going from hot summer days too over cast skies this morning and it's much cooler, much more pleasant and it's a very nice time of the year. We really like the Midwest in the fall here, football season, outdoor activities, sports and things and just enjoying the change of the seasons. Thank you very much for joining us today. I have a good show for you.
Marquis: I believe today I want to talk to you about what made America great why it's in decline and how we can get it back on track to make it even greater than before. So I'd like to talk to you a little bit about the founding of America so that we understand the foundation on which we all stand today, Why we are the greatest nation that's ever graced God's Green Earth. Why can a country In only a very short 240 some years reached the heights that it has today. No other nation has been able to achieve what America has been able to achieve yet. We are very much concerned about the direction of America where it's headed, there's signs that we have some things we need to change. We need to bring us back into a proper viewpoint in understanding of our nation. So let us talk a little bit about the founding of America. What did our founding fathers say about God and why did they leave England before ever settling foot in north America.
Marquis: The pilgrims spent several years living in Holland led by William brewster and john Robinson. The group initially fled to Amsterdam in 1603 to escape religious persecution for holding clandestine services that were sanctioned by the Church of England. The pilgrims left Holland, The Netherlands, not England in 1620 because of a lack of space for their growing numbers and their belief at the protestant atmosphere was weakening the belief of their Children and the impending end of the peace treaty between the Netherlands and spain. The main reasons why the pilgrims left England and Holland were 35 of the pilgrims were members of the radical English separatist church, who traveled to America to escape the jurisdiction of the Church of England, which they found corrupt 10 years earlier. English persecution had led a group of separatists to flee to Holland in search of religious freedom. So the first thing we need to understand is that this nation was founded upon seeking for religious freedom. Of course they had left England King George's persecution, execution of christians, they found safe haven in holland and as a result they practice their religious freedom, their faith because of a lack of space for their growing numbers. And the left that country looking for a land in which they could practice their faith and to expand and grow their community.
Marquis: So many of the Dutch immigrated to America to escape religious persecution and they were known for trading, particularly for which they obtained from the native americans in exchange for weapons. Now the founding fathers, when they arrived in the new world, the first thing they thought about was building their church, then their schools in their homes. So they had this idea that they put God first and everything that they did. They worship God as the creator. And that's where their faith was because it was very difficult at that time, lack of food. In fact, many had died that first winter because they they didn't eat the seed that they had brought with them so they could plant in the spring. So they had put others first and they sacrificed themselves and upon that foundation. And the great experiment of America was founded.
Marquis: So what did our founding fathers say about God? I believe in one God, the creator of the universe, that he governs it by his providence and then he ought to be worshipped the most acceptable service we render to him is doing good to his other Children. And I want to read that again, the most acceptable service we render to him is doing good to his other Children. So the ideals were not just based on themselves, but really practicing the golden rule do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That was the founding spirit of the puritans pilgrims that came here to found our country. So how was religion addressed in the new constitution? Well, the First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution says that everyone in the United States has the right to practice his or her own religion or no religion at all. The established clause of the First Amendment prohibits government from encouraging or promoting establishing religion in any way they felt who is important to keep the separation between church and state because they had left the king who had all power and all authority over the individuals. And they wanted to be able to allow for that freedom of expression, to believe in God or not to believe in God, but not to be dictated by the government or in the case of England, a king had persecuted them and executed them for their religious beliefs.
Marquis: The bible influences on the constitution were manifested in several ways. First, general theological or doctrinal propositions regarding human nature. Civil authority, political society, and the like informed conceptions and institutions of law and civil government. So based on those principles of general theological or doctrinal propositions and civil authority, political society and the institutions of law and civil government came about. So our civil government was founded on those christian principles, not based on some self centered self interest, but really a higher power as God, as creator. It's important for us to understand why America could grow To where it is today in just a very short 244 or so odd years. So America is great because America put God in the subject position I've mentioned to you before, I'm a former pastor. And so I do look at things from a spiritual point of view and I believe, and I think by the readings of our founding fathers, we can see God's hand, his providence and building up this nation to where it is today, God blessed America because of our attitudes, because of the principles that we practiced in the founding of this nation. And because of that, America is great and America will cease to be great if it fails to continue those principles and practices that our founding fathers practiced when they founded this country. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right includes freedom to change his religion or belief in freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private to manifest his religion or belief and worship teaching practice and observance. So let us reflect on that and when I return in a few moments, let's talk a little bit about why America is in decline and some solutions on how we can get back to where we need to be.
Marquis: So we'll take a little break right now and we'll come back here in a few moments. It's mhm. Mhm. Yeah, yeah, mm. Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. Welcome back. This is part two In Part one. We talked about how America became a great nation by what our founding fathers believed that they, we're looking for religious freedom. They escaped the tyranny of king George. They lived in holland for a period of time. They felt that it was a tight space that they wanted to expand their wings and two find another location where they could have religious freedom And they traveled across the ocean and landed at Plymouth Rock and from there they began their journey and we talked about how they started that. They first built their church, then their schools and then their homes and as a result of that in 245 years or so, they built the greatest nation on God's green earth. We went from the combustible engine all the way to landing on the moon and now in construction to go to mars no other country has been able to do. The things that America has done and technology economies innovation. It's the most incredible country in the world and nobody can tell us any different the facts speak for themselves.
Marquis: But America's in trouble. We're in peril were declining. We're losing this great nation to the forces that are opposed to us. And there are many everything from secular humanism to socialism and communism. The chinese, the Russians, the ideology, there's many things that are attacking us, but there's two very important historical events that took place that started the decline of America. The first one was in 1962, Madeline O'Hare and the Supreme Court removed prayer from the schools. And we know then once they took the prayer out of our schools, it was the start of the long slide. The long decline. The founding fathers. The first thing they did, they built a church when they landed in this great country. Then they built their schools and then they built their homes. So they had their priorities in the right place. The second thing event 1963 when there was no bible readings in school, first was prayer and they took the word from school. In 1980, they took the 10 commandments out of schools. These are some very important milestones that we can trace back and we can look at and we can see how much America has declined. Those moral values extended deep into the nuclear family.
Marquis: The breakdown of the american family, We can see how the families have become splintered, the divorce rates Sometimes reaching 50 of our population. These are all telltale signs of a declining nation. The second big historical event that is created. The decline of America was in 1973 Roe vs Wade when they legalized abortion, it took the sanctity of life and they made it an excuse four promiscuity. Not all abortions are the result of unwanted pregnancies. Some are for health reasons, but the majority or because of convenience. And we've cheapened life and as a result of that, we become very secular and very numb to the value of human life. So these two big milestones in my opinion or what have brought our country to a situation where we're very concerned. Now when we come back in our last segment, once we know the problems, we can identify the problems, then we can take steps to correct them and that's what we're gonna do. So we're gonna take another short break.
Marquis: When we come back, we're gonna look at some solutions to solving and making America greater than ever before. We'll be back in just a moment. Mhm. Mhm. Yeah. Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. Okay, welcome back. This is part three. This is the fix the solution to the decline of America. So we, we spoke about the founding fathers, why they came here primarily they came here for religious freedom, free from oppression from the king. King George, they left Britain, they would had a temporary stay in holland and they wanted to, they found that the rooms were small there, they wanted place to to grow their community to the spread their wings and they left holland and they travel across the ocean looking for a new world free from government oppression, they wanted freedom to pursue their own idea of happiness without the king dictating how they acted. And believed
Marquis: We talked about the two big sins. Our country is founded on these very pure principles of belief in God and religious freedom liberties. We became the greatest nation in the world yet we've declined and there was two major sins that we talked about removing prayer in school, an abortion. These were the two major sins that we've seen the decline of our country, taking God out of our institutions and allowing for abortion, the murder of Children, the secularization of our morality and the excuses for promiscuity. So let's talk about the solutions. So all we have to do is trace back our problems and correct those problems and this way we can get back on track. So returning to a faith in God, the great awakening, the spiritual awakening, returning to our roots our creator now the founding fathers, they had different religions so they didn't isolate different denominations, but they embraced the differences. So America's very diverse culture. We have many different religions here and we can't pass judgment on different religions. So we have to embrace each other. The fact that we have faith, most of the faiths around the world are good. They have moral principles living for a higher purpose, guidelines on how to act The 10 commandments in Christianity. But many of the other religious faiths also have very high ideals and moral principles. So returning to faith in God, putting God back in the schools, that's the first thing we need to do. The second thing we need to do as we need to overturn roe versus wade. This was a very serious problem because it's desensitized ourselves to the value of life and therefore we can treat people as just physical beings with no spirit objects that can be tossed away and disposed of without any guilt or feelings of regret.
Marquis: Now, of course, health considerations are separate to the abortion issue, but most abortions are out of convenience because of not wanting to bear that child well, if you don't want a child, then don't do the acts that create Children and then just throw them away as if they were a mistake or for convenience. This problem has created the moral decline of our country. Also. In the political areas, we need less regulations, not more regulations. The government has become far too big and bloated and overreaching, taxing us for unnecessary self centered self interest purposes, putting restrictions on business telling us that we have to be mandated for vaccines when government has no business to tell us how we should treat our own bodies when it comes to our own health. So less regulations from government allowing for the free enterprise, free economies to serve others. Corporations can also, if they have a self centered interest, can be a negative, corporations have become too big to large without a moral principle can be harmful to others. So we need moral corporations, corporations that just don't think about their own bottom line, like the pharmaceutical industry, but have the general public interest first, of course, they need to make a profit, but not at the expense of the consumers. And we need to vote out those self interest politicians that are there only for their own power to pad their pockets with our fortunes. We need to be politically active and we need to vote out those politicians that have been there only for their own self interests.
Marquis: And I think it's about time we have term limits. These career politicians that have been in office for their entire lifetime lose perspective that was never the intention of our founding fathers. It was a citizen service where they served a few years in government and then they went back to their businesses, their farms and their homes. So these are some of the solutions I believe that will help America get back on track and the two prayer and abortions. Our big major projects currently right now, we have a very conservative Supreme Court and with the texas abortion restrictions. The Supreme Court may take this up. We may be able to see overturning the abortion as law of the land. So let us consider these things, let us consider what made America great, let us consider true love rather than false love. Godly love principled love. So what is a life of true love? In essence it is living for the sake of others. It is living for the sake of others. Before you even think about the other, doing something for you. It is a life of giving to others and dismissing the thought that you ever gave. It is not giving in hopes of receiving something in return. It is a life where you give and give so much that you will never regret that you didn't give more even as you give you bow your head and humility.
Marquis: Thus Jesus said, greater love has no one than this that he laid down his life for his friends john 15:13 he also said for whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted Matthew 23:12 even are all mitt creator, God does not engage in creation and destruction at whim. He abides by the principles of creation that he himself established. So my friends, this is our solution to return to the heavenly laws and principles that our founding fathers began this country on. It was God's blessings that made America great and it's the path we have to take in order to return to greatness again. God, our creator will leave this country if we disregard him. If we fail to follow the principles that made this country great. So I hope you enjoyed our episode this week and we hope to continue to bring topics like this and solutions and networking to bring about America's rebirth. An awakening. Thank you all for listening. God bless you have a wonderful day. And we will see you on our next episode of the Affirm America podcast. This is the Affirm America podcast with your host, Marquis Vandemark. And let's Never forget, America is great and we affirm it.
Contact Marquis at marquis@affirmamerica.com
The settlement project https://sp12.org
Contact Dr Frank Kaufmann: kaufmann.nyc@gmail.com
Marquis: This is the affirm America podcast where we stand up and speak out. Affirming american excellence coming to you deep in the heart of the midwest, located in an undisclosed log cabin on the outskirts of town. Your host, Marquis Vandermark. Welcome Welcome Welcome to the Affirm America podcast. I am your host, Marquis Vandermark. And yes, I am deep in the heart of the Midwest, Inside a log cabin in an undisclosed location on the outskirts of town. Thank you very much for joining me today. The weather here in the midwest is absolutely changing. We're going from hot summer days too over cast skies this morning and it's much cooler, much more pleasant and it's a very nice time of the year. We really like the Midwest in the fall here, football season, outdoor activities, sports and things and just enjoying the change of the seasons. Thank you very much for joining us today. I have a good show for you.
Marquis: I believe today I want to talk to you about what made America great why it's in decline and how we can get it back on track to make it even greater than before. So I'd like to talk to you a little bit about the founding of America so that we understand the foundation on which we all stand today, Why we are the greatest nation that's ever graced God's Green Earth. Why can a country In only a very short 240 some years reached the heights that it has today. No other nation has been able to achieve what America has been able to achieve yet. We are very much concerned about the direction of America where it's headed, there's signs that we have some things we need to change. We need to bring us back into a proper viewpoint in understanding of our nation. So let us talk a little bit about the founding of America. What did our founding fathers say about God and why did they leave England before ever settling foot in north America.
Marquis: The pilgrims spent several years living in Holland led by William brewster and john Robinson. The group initially fled to Amsterdam in 1603 to escape religious persecution for holding clandestine services that were sanctioned by the Church of England. The pilgrims left Holland, The Netherlands, not England in 1620 because of a lack of space for their growing numbers and their belief at the protestant atmosphere was weakening the belief of their Children and the impending end of the peace treaty between the Netherlands and spain. The main reasons why the pilgrims left England and Holland were 35 of the pilgrims were members of the radical English separatist church, who traveled to America to escape the jurisdiction of the Church of England, which they found corrupt 10 years earlier. English persecution had led a group of separatists to flee to Holland in search of religious freedom. So the first thing we need to understand is that this nation was founded upon seeking for religious freedom. Of course they had left England King George's persecution, execution of christians, they found safe haven in holland and as a result they practice their religious freedom, their faith because of a lack of space for their growing numbers. And the left that country looking for a land in which they could practice their faith and to expand and grow their community.
Marquis: So many of the Dutch immigrated to America to escape religious persecution and they were known for trading, particularly for which they obtained from the native americans in exchange for weapons. Now the founding fathers, when they arrived in the new world, the first thing they thought about was building their church, then their schools in their homes. So they had this idea that they put God first and everything that they did. They worship God as the creator. And that's where their faith was because it was very difficult at that time, lack of food. In fact, many had died that first winter because they they didn't eat the seed that they had brought with them so they could plant in the spring. So they had put others first and they sacrificed themselves and upon that foundation. And the great experiment of America was founded.
Marquis: So what did our founding fathers say about God? I believe in one God, the creator of the universe, that he governs it by his providence and then he ought to be worshipped the most acceptable service we render to him is doing good to his other Children. And I want to read that again, the most acceptable service we render to him is doing good to his other Children. So the ideals were not just based on themselves, but really practicing the golden rule do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That was the founding spirit of the puritans pilgrims that came here to found our country. So how was religion addressed in the new constitution? Well, the First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution says that everyone in the United States has the right to practice his or her own religion or no religion at all. The established clause of the First Amendment prohibits government from encouraging or promoting establishing religion in any way they felt who is important to keep the separation between church and state because they had left the king who had all power and all authority over the individuals. And they wanted to be able to allow for that freedom of expression, to believe in God or not to believe in God, but not to be dictated by the government or in the case of England, a king had persecuted them and executed them for their religious beliefs.
Marquis: The bible influences on the constitution were manifested in several ways. First, general theological or doctrinal propositions regarding human nature. Civil authority, political society, and the like informed conceptions and institutions of law and civil government. So based on those principles of general theological or doctrinal propositions and civil authority, political society and the institutions of law and civil government came about. So our civil government was founded on those christian principles, not based on some self centered self interest, but really a higher power as God, as creator. It's important for us to understand why America could grow To where it is today in just a very short 244 or so odd years. So America is great because America put God in the subject position I've mentioned to you before, I'm a former pastor. And so I do look at things from a spiritual point of view and I believe, and I think by the readings of our founding fathers, we can see God's hand, his providence and building up this nation to where it is today, God blessed America because of our attitudes, because of the principles that we practiced in the founding of this nation. And because of that, America is great and America will cease to be great if it fails to continue those principles and practices that our founding fathers practiced when they founded this country. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right includes freedom to change his religion or belief in freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private to manifest his religion or belief and worship teaching practice and observance. So let us reflect on that and when I return in a few moments, let's talk a little bit about why America is in decline and some solutions on how we can get back to where we need to be.
Marquis: So we'll take a little break right now and we'll come back here in a few moments. It's mhm. Mhm. Yeah, yeah, mm. Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. Welcome back. This is part two In Part one. We talked about how America became a great nation by what our founding fathers believed that they, we're looking for religious freedom. They escaped the tyranny of king George. They lived in holland for a period of time. They felt that it was a tight space that they wanted to expand their wings and two find another location where they could have religious freedom And they traveled across the ocean and landed at Plymouth Rock and from there they began their journey and we talked about how they started that. They first built their church, then their schools and then their homes and as a result of that in 245 years or so, they built the greatest nation on God's green earth. We went from the combustible engine all the way to landing on the moon and now in construction to go to mars no other country has been able to do. The things that America has done and technology economies innovation. It's the most incredible country in the world and nobody can tell us any different the facts speak for themselves.
Marquis: But America's in trouble. We're in peril were declining. We're losing this great nation to the forces that are opposed to us. And there are many everything from secular humanism to socialism and communism. The chinese, the Russians, the ideology, there's many things that are attacking us, but there's two very important historical events that took place that started the decline of America. The first one was in 1962, Madeline O'Hare and the Supreme Court removed prayer from the schools. And we know then once they took the prayer out of our schools, it was the start of the long slide. The long decline. The founding fathers. The first thing they did, they built a church when they landed in this great country. Then they built their schools and then they built their homes. So they had their priorities in the right place. The second thing event 1963 when there was no bible readings in school, first was prayer and they took the word from school. In 1980, they took the 10 commandments out of schools. These are some very important milestones that we can trace back and we can look at and we can see how much America has declined. Those moral values extended deep into the nuclear family.
Marquis: The breakdown of the american family, We can see how the families have become splintered, the divorce rates Sometimes reaching 50 of our population. These are all telltale signs of a declining nation. The second big historical event that is created. The decline of America was in 1973 Roe vs Wade when they legalized abortion, it took the sanctity of life and they made it an excuse four promiscuity. Not all abortions are the result of unwanted pregnancies. Some are for health reasons, but the majority or because of convenience. And we've cheapened life and as a result of that, we become very secular and very numb to the value of human life. So these two big milestones in my opinion or what have brought our country to a situation where we're very concerned. Now when we come back in our last segment, once we know the problems, we can identify the problems, then we can take steps to correct them and that's what we're gonna do. So we're gonna take another short break.
Marquis: When we come back, we're gonna look at some solutions to solving and making America greater than ever before. We'll be back in just a moment. Mhm. Mhm. Yeah. Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. Okay, welcome back. This is part three. This is the fix the solution to the decline of America. So we, we spoke about the founding fathers, why they came here primarily they came here for religious freedom, free from oppression from the king. King George, they left Britain, they would had a temporary stay in holland and they wanted to, they found that the rooms were small there, they wanted place to to grow their community to the spread their wings and they left holland and they travel across the ocean looking for a new world free from government oppression, they wanted freedom to pursue their own idea of happiness without the king dictating how they acted. And believed
Marquis: We talked about the two big sins. Our country is founded on these very pure principles of belief in God and religious freedom liberties. We became the greatest nation in the world yet we've declined and there was two major sins that we talked about removing prayer in school, an abortion. These were the two major sins that we've seen the decline of our country, taking God out of our institutions and allowing for abortion, the murder of Children, the secularization of our morality and the excuses for promiscuity. So let's talk about the solutions. So all we have to do is trace back our problems and correct those problems and this way we can get back on track. So returning to a faith in God, the great awakening, the spiritual awakening, returning to our roots our creator now the founding fathers, they had different religions so they didn't isolate different denominations, but they embraced the differences. So America's very diverse culture. We have many different religions here and we can't pass judgment on different religions. So we have to embrace each other. The fact that we have faith, most of the faiths around the world are good. They have moral principles living for a higher purpose, guidelines on how to act The 10 commandments in Christianity. But many of the other religious faiths also have very high ideals and moral principles. So returning to faith in God, putting God back in the schools, that's the first thing we need to do. The second thing we need to do as we need to overturn roe versus wade. This was a very serious problem because it's desensitized ourselves to the value of life and therefore we can treat people as just physical beings with no spirit objects that can be tossed away and disposed of without any guilt or feelings of regret.
Marquis: Now, of course, health considerations are separate to the abortion issue, but most abortions are out of convenience because of not wanting to bear that child well, if you don't want a child, then don't do the acts that create Children and then just throw them away as if they were a mistake or for convenience. This problem has created the moral decline of our country. Also. In the political areas, we need less regulations, not more regulations. The government has become far too big and bloated and overreaching, taxing us for unnecessary self centered self interest purposes, putting restrictions on business telling us that we have to be mandated for vaccines when government has no business to tell us how we should treat our own bodies when it comes to our own health. So less regulations from government allowing for the free enterprise, free economies to serve others. Corporations can also, if they have a self centered interest, can be a negative, corporations have become too big to large without a moral principle can be harmful to others. So we need moral corporations, corporations that just don't think about their own bottom line, like the pharmaceutical industry, but have the general public interest first, of course, they need to make a profit, but not at the expense of the consumers. And we need to vote out those self interest politicians that are there only for their own power to pad their pockets with our fortunes. We need to be politically active and we need to vote out those politicians that have been there only for their own self interests.
Marquis: And I think it's about time we have term limits. These career politicians that have been in office for their entire lifetime lose perspective that was never the intention of our founding fathers. It was a citizen service where they served a few years in government and then they went back to their businesses, their farms and their homes. So these are some of the solutions I believe that will help America get back on track and the two prayer and abortions. Our big major projects currently right now, we have a very conservative Supreme Court and with the texas abortion restrictions. The Supreme Court may take this up. We may be able to see overturning the abortion as law of the land. So let us consider these things, let us consider what made America great, let us consider true love rather than false love. Godly love principled love. So what is a life of true love? In essence it is living for the sake of others. It is living for the sake of others. Before you even think about the other, doing something for you. It is a life of giving to others and dismissing the thought that you ever gave. It is not giving in hopes of receiving something in return. It is a life where you give and give so much that you will never regret that you didn't give more even as you give you bow your head and humility.
Marquis: Thus Jesus said, greater love has no one than this that he laid down his life for his friends john 15:13 he also said for whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted Matthew 23:12 even are all mitt creator, God does not engage in creation and destruction at whim. He abides by the principles of creation that he himself established. So my friends, this is our solution to return to the heavenly laws and principles that our founding fathers began this country on. It was God's blessings that made America great and it's the path we have to take in order to return to greatness again. God, our creator will leave this country if we disregard him. If we fail to follow the principles that made this country great. So I hope you enjoyed our episode this week and we hope to continue to bring topics like this and solutions and networking to bring about America's rebirth. An awakening. Thank you all for listening. God bless you have a wonderful day. And we will see you on our next episode of the Affirm America podcast. This is the Affirm America podcast with your host, Marquis Vandemark. And let's Never forget, America is great and we affirm it.