America's Heritage

by Ryan Burgett.

While LBCCS strives to stay clear of modern politics, sometimes modern politics move into our domain of history and truth. In this case we are seeing the controversy in Texas surrounding changes to their public school education curriculum. The majority of the board supports language that presents American history more appropriately in the context of its religious heritage, while the opponents claim that it is all revisionist history. In the articles that have been published relating to this controversy, one name keeps coming up, David Barton. While his credentials are lacking by most modern standards, it must be admitted that he has put in lots of personal study and is well stocked with quotes and excerpts from historical documents to back up his claims. In this particular case, I would consider him right on. In his recommendation to the Texas School Board, he listed five principles that can be found in the Declaration of Independence and are essential to understanding the true history of our nation's founding. The five he listed are:

1. There is a fixed moral law derived from God and nature.
2. There is a Creator.
3. The Creator gives to man certain unalienable rights.
4. Government exists primarily to protect God-given rights to every individual.
5. Below God-given rights and moral laws, government is directed by the consent of the governed.

I agree that those principles are both the foundation of our nation and also the reason our nation has become the greatest nation the world has ever seen. These principles have nothing to do with sexual orientation or abortion or any other modern political hot topics. This is not a political issue, and anyone that is trying to make it such (and these people can be found on both sides of the controversy) are wrong for doing so. This is a historical issue. If you read the history of the Enlightenment, the history of our nation's founding, and the words of our founding fathers, you can see that these principles were not the crazy ideas of religious radicals, but mainstream ideas that were accepted by the majority of Americans.

So let us never take it upon ourselves to revise true history, but let us also not be afraid to present the truth regardless of how controversial it might be.

LBCCS Meeting Agenda

Here is the agenda for our meeting on Friday, the 26th. For all the information about the meeting, click here.

7:00 Opening Remarks - Paul Fiske
7:10 Invocation
7:15 Pledge of Allegiance
7:17 Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constitution - Jake Towne
8:50 Closing Remarks - Ryan Burgett

Please RSVP by email if you plan on attending. We hope to see you there!

Ryan Burgett
Chairman - L.B.C.C.S.
ryan_burgett@hotmail.com

"Freedom From Fascism"

By Jake Towne

Recent events not only with the current healthcare bill, but also on the economic front are waking up more and more Americans to the sad truth that the federal government is out of control. A fascist state is quickly developing in America, one of the few rare places in the history of the planet where “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” was not an unattainable dream but instead a mission statement. . .

To read the entire article, click here.

Announcing Our Next Meeting!

Time:
Friday, March 26 at 7pm

Place:
The Historic Biery House
8 Race St
Catasauqua, PA 18032

Because of scheduling conflicts caused by the recent snow, the meeting initially planned for February has been re-scheduled for this month. As originally planned, Jake Towne will be leading us in a discussion on the 17 specific powers and responsibilities given to the federal Legislature in Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution. The 10th Amendment says that any responsibility not expressly given to the federal government in the Constitution is left to the states and the people, so it is very important that we understand what the specific responsibilities of our federal government are.

Come and join us as we learn and discuss together! We will be meeting at the Biery House in Catasauqua and there will be no charge for entrance. Please RSVP by Facebook or email (ryan_burgett@hotmail.com) by March 23 so we can properly prepare for the group. We hope to see you there!

Finding the Biery House:
The house is on the left almost immediately after crossing the Race St bridge (heading East) in Catasauqua. Click here for a map.

Parking Information:
Follow the driveway beside the house all the way back to the parking lot.

Questions? Contact Ryan at 484-553-0956.

Foundational Truth: The Separation of Church and State

"Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's,
and to God the things that are God's."
Luke 20.25

These are the immortal words of Jesus Christ given in the Gospel of Luke. In this simple verse, Jesus makes a clear distinction between God and Caesar, or what we would consider Church and State. Each has distinct responsibilities from God and have been given authority to fulfill those responsibilities.

Throughout history, we have seen this distinction blurred and the results were always disastrous. In the Middle Ages, we saw the Catholic church take on the responsibilities of civil government (the state) and the world saw bloody crusades, oppression, widespread poverty, and total abandonment of the proper functions of the Church. On the other hand, we have seen governments attempt to control the church for political means and especially in recent history have seen government claim responsibilities that are rightfully left to the church. These have caused corruption, poverty, persecution and pointless bloodshed. If each party had respected the other and each fulfilled its proper functions, many of history's greatest disasters could have been avoided. So what are their respective responsibilities?

Let us start with the church, or the Christian religion in general. In Matthew 28.19-20, Jesus lays out three responsibilities: (1) Discipleship (2) Baptism (3) Teaching. Also, James 1.27 says, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." So those are some basic, biblical responsibilities of the Church. Now what are the responsibilities of civil government? Romans 13.4 tells us that God has given civil government authority to be "an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer." So, to put it in a nutshell, civil government has been given the responsibility of protecting good people by punishing evildoers.

We must always make a proper distinction between the Church and the State. They each have been given authority to fulfill certain responsibilities, and in any case where one attempts to usurp the authority of the other there is nothing but trouble and pain. We must hold fast to the wisdom of Jesus and render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. That is truth.

Letter From Our Founding Director

To All Fellow and Sister Patriots, who believe that we are a Nation of Laws and not the Vagaries of Human Caprice. We have grown together over the past two years as a very valuable source of Constitutional education, thanks to all of you dedicated followers of truth and freedom.

But life moves on, and changes occur in growth and direction. Ryan is focusing on a large educational program for our Youth (the life's blood of America). Targeting the Home Schooled, Faith based Schools, and Private Charter Institutions.

He and Eric Adams will be guiding the future Study Group Sessions for L.B.C.C.S for the near future. As I am involved in helping open a full service Bakery/Cafe/Coffee House, which will be the permanent home for for our Sessions. Joining along with other Community/ Neighborhood Groups, sprinkled with several Business Educational Networking Organizations (all scheduled a different times throughout the months ahead). It is called Delicious Morsels and will be located at 1305 S. Roth Ave (north west Allentown) easy access to all major regional roadways. There are numerous available buildings nearby to host larger events if needed. Scheduled opening to take place in late April if all goes well.

Please continue your viewing of this Web Blog for further timely educational pieces, plus meeting schedules for the next several months. Location (s) to be announced by our Chairman Ryan Burgett. Hope to see you all soon in the very near and bright future.

Sincerely, Yours in Liberty,

Paul J. Fiske
Founding Director
The Liberty Bell Center for Constitutional Studies
Lehigh Valley, Pa.

Thomas Jefferson’s Other Declaration

By Derek Sheriff, TenthAmendmentCenter.com.

Most Americans know that Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of “The Declaration of Independence”, the most important of all our founding documents.

Yet few of them have even heard of another document that I would say might be the second most important declaration he ever wrote: The Kentucky Resolutions of 1798. He drafted them secretly while he was serving as vice president. It was written in response to the hated Alien and Sedition Acts which were passed under the Adams administration during an undeclared war with France. . .

To read the entire article, click here.

"Americans are Awakening to Our Awful Situation"

By Earl Taylor, Jr. NCCS.net.

"America's Founding Fathers were students of human nature and how influential people and governments have dealt with human nature throughout the history of this world. In nearly every case, the Founders discovered that powerful people have nearly always sought to gain mastery over others. Whether by force or by slow deceptive means, power-hungry individuals have sought to thrust themselves into positions where they can control the lives, liberty, and property of others. The distaste for this kind of control is what led Thomas Jefferson to proclaim, “I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal vigilance against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” Generally, this kind of power, which tends to pander to the pretended needs of the masses and thereby invades the unalienable rights of individuals, is known as socialism. . ."

To read the entire newsletter, click here.