In the late 1700’s we had two revolutions. The American revolution and the French Revolution. An eastern revolution and a western revolution. One was a revolution based on Judeo-Christian principles and morals focused on the individual rights of man and the other was one that was more of a social justice revolution focused more on the collective, or the “greater good” if you will. When you focus on the collective, the individual rights of man are non-existent.
What is the Enlightenment?
- A European intellectual movement of the 17th and 18th centuries in which ideas concerning God, reason, nature, and humanity were synthesized into a worldview that gained wide assent in the West and that instigated revolutionary developments in art, philosophy, and politics. Central to Enlightenment thought were the use and celebration of reason, the power by which humans understand the universe and improve their own condition. The goals of rational humanity were considered to be knowledge, freedom, and happiness.
The American/Western Enlightenment:
- God-given rights of individuals
- Value of social virtue – (reason, respect, honesty, courage, compassion, generosity, integrity, self-control, prudence, fidelity, fairness.)
- State of government created to preserve inalienable individual rights
The European/Eastern Enlightenment:
- Utopian sense of purpose (sound familiar)
- Man could be free the old constraints
- Those constraints were mainly Political and spiritual
- Virtue-Free reason opposite of traditional virtue
Truth would become relative if it is not based upon any foundation. Religion itself had put humanity in chains from their point of view.
They saw “religion” as the main obstacle to achieve their Utopia.
French Philosopher Denis Diderot said “Once the last Priest was dead, then mankind could reach back toward the nature within, and find within himself the capacity for godlike power and wisdom.”
French Philosopher and early revolutionary said “Science would rescue man from his flaws, “foresee the progress of humankind, direct it, and accelerate it.”
The American Revolution’s social virtues were guided by reason based upon their Judeo-Christian principles which in turn had been tried by the Scriptures. There were boundaries, not chains. There was freedom, liberty, the pursuit of happiness by the individual.
The French Revolution was virtue-free (there were none), truth became relevant, and reason had no boundaries and was driven by passion and emotion. There was no reason with any sort of substance or foundation and the rights of the individual were lost. It was the perfect storm for chaos and anarchy.
March 4th, 1789- First Meeting of the United States Senate- first order of business was to form a committee to recommend a Chaplain.
July 14th, 1789- French citizens stormed the Bastille- moved toward a more Utopian rebuilding
- Quickly dethroned the kings and the priests
- First official religion – “The Cult of Reason” – Atheistic religion- Atheism is, in the broadest sense, an absence of belief in the existence of deities.
- It’s object of worship: “one God only, the people”
- God was stripped of His holiness, and “reason” was put in His place.
- Reason without virtue, virtue without Judeo-Christian principles
Frenchman began to celebrate what they would call the “Festival of Reason.”
- Churches were transformed in Temples dedicated to the worship of “Reason”
- They worshipped each other.
- Chief Temple was at Notre Dame Cathedral
- Musicians of the National Guard and Opera would sing hymns to “Liberty, with liberty serving as its deity or god.
- The opening verse was “Descend, O Liberty, daughter of Nature.”
- The term liberty was used and viewed much differently in the American revolution.
- An inscription “to philosophy” was placed at the entrance while the flame of the goddess of reason was lit on the altar.
March 1794- Maximillian Robespierre founded: The Cult of the Supreme Being
- Still atheistic
- Worshipped very similar gods
- Had the leaders of the Cult of Reason executed
- These men turned on each other as there was no guide, there was no reason based on virtue, there was no virtue, no principle except their own and those principles became relevant to each other.
- They were gods in each other’s eyes.
- In their minds, killing the other man to promote his own utopia was necessary and quite alright, because well…truth was subjective
- When there are no grounds for what absolute truth is, truth becomes lost along with principle, virtue, and reason.
- The American revolution was successful because truth, principle, virtue, and reason were based upon the Word of God and they came to the agreement that man could not take away their rights given to them by an almighty God.
July 1794
- Robespierre himself was executed
- When napoleon took control, he outlawed these cults and banned them
- The rejection of the Judeo-Christian principles in favor of its atheistic principles was the end for their revolution.
Cultural “woke” Revolution:
- Utopian sense of purpose
- Want a tolerant world where there is equality and fairness but based on what? What is to be the foundation of what their fairness and equality is built upon and who then gets to decide what that is?
- Man could be free the old constraints
- Look at religion, the church as an obstacle to their Utopia. Purge out the old history, the old religion that you disagree with and then what? Where do you go from here?
- Political, spiritual…
- What is the new Utopia, “Nation of Chaz/Chop Atmosphere” based upon? What is the foundation? If truth has become relative in this new Utopia then everyman is right in his own eyes. They all become their own gods. More chaos, upheaval, and anarchy will continue.
- Virtue-Free reason opposite of traditional virtue
- Every man becomes his own god and they look at a world without religion, without the rule of law, without authority, as “freedom.”
- Murder is justified, hatred is justified, as long as the ends justify the means.
We saw how that turned out for a group of people who stormed the bastille over 200 years ago, they threw out the kings and priests and then what? What happened? They had no real plan in place to replace the existing authority. Their Utopia collapsed on itself within a matter of a few years because when you have a social revolution based upon emotion with no grounds of substance, no real virtue, with no real sight or vision, set apart from Judeo-Christian values and morals all you will be left with is chaos and anarchy.
When truth becomes subjective there is no freedom or right of the individual. You have the collective that trump the will of the individual every time.
We must be careful because history is repeating itself right before our eyes and we can’t even see it. How long before we wake up? I wonder if they are going to have start breaking out the guillotines again before we start paying attention.
Restoring Faith, Family, and Freedom in America 