THE MORAL PARAMETERS OF FREE SPEECH ACCORDING TO THE FOUNDERS

Why Jimmie Kimmel's Slanderous Statements Were Not Protected Speech

Jimmie Kimmel, who has since been reinstated, was suspended for making false and disparaging remarks about Charlie Kirk after his assassination,  Kimmel falsely claimed that the "Maga gang" was "desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them" and of trying to "score political points from it." He also said that Trump’s grief at Kirk’s death is “how a four year old mourns a goldfish.”

Many on the left came to his defense declaring that it was a matter of “free speech” protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Does, however, the First Amendment protect such malicious, false, egregious speech? Is it possible that the Constitution is being morally dumbed down to accommodate a morally degenerate culture and the worst in our society? 

The Founders Assumed Moral Parameters

That the Founders assumed moral parameters for “free speech” is obvious from their words and actions. Take George Washington, for example. When he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Colonial Army, one of his first acts was to put parameters on the speech of the troops.

He issued an order forbidding profanity and swearing and ordered each day to begin with prayer led by the commander of each unit. He explained that they could not expect the blessing of Heaven on their fight for liberty if they insulted Heaven with their speech.

He also forbade gambling and drunkenness and expressed his desire that, “Every officer and man will endeavor so as to live and act as becomes a Christian soldier” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 114).

The Founders, without exception, believed morality and religion to be the basis of freedom. Without a national morality to guide the populace they knew that freedom would be turned into avarice and anarchy, and this would destroy the free Republic they had formed.

Virtue and Freedom are Twins

This is why John Dickinson, Founding Father and chairman of the committee that produced the Articles of Confederation, warned that “when states lose their liberty, this calamity is generally owing to a decay of virtue.”

Virtue is defined as “moral excellence” and the Founders agreed that only a virtuous people could enjoy the liberties they were enshrining in the founding documents. Virtue (moral excellence) is glaringly missing in American culture. Jimmie Kimmel demonstrated that fact. Yet, the Founders insist that virtue is the "only foundation of a free Constitution."

Two weeks before he signed the Declaration of Independence, John Adams wrote to his cousin, Zabdiel Adams, and said,

Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure virtue (Hyatt, 1726: The Year thatDefined America, 164-65).

When the Founders speak of “religion” they are referring to Christianity as it was the only religion they knew. Without exception, they saw Christianity as offering the only moral and philosophical system that would undergird the nation they had formed.

This was clearly spelled out by John Adams in a 1798 presidential address to the officers of the Massachusetts Militia. Adams made clear his belief in a national Christian morality as the only hope for the survival of the American Republic. He declared,

We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion . . .  Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious [Christian] people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 168).

In his Farewell Address after serving two terms as the nation’s first president, George Washington made the same point by exhorting the new nation to cling to “morality and religion” which he described as “indispensable supports” for human happiness and national prosperity.

Thomas Jefferson made Washington’s Farewell Address required reading at the University of Virginia, which he had founded. He too believed that only a virtuous people could enjoy liberty and made clear the source of such virtue, saying, “Of all the systems of morality that have come under my observation none appear to me so pure as that of Jesus.” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 149-50).

Benjamin Rush, a Philadelphia physician and signer of the Declaration of Independence, made the same point as Washington, Adams, and Jefferson, declaring,

The only foundation for a Republic is to be laid in Religion [Christianity]. Without this there can be no liberty, and liberty is the life and object of all republican governments (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 163).

The Conclusion of the Matter

The Founders believed a vibrant Christianity to be necessary for the ongoing success of the Republic they had formed. They were right and this is why we must ask God to send another Great Awakening across this land, for as the Catholic scholar, the late Dr. Michael Novak, said,

Far from having a hostility toward religion, the founders counted on religion for the underlying philosophy of the republic, its supporting ethic, and its reliable source of rejuvenation (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 171).

So, the Founders implemented the First Amendment guarantee of free speech for a virtuous society that was seeking after truth. They implemented it for "a moral and religious people." Kimmel's false and slanderous statements about Charlie Kirk and President Trump obviously do not meet those standards, so we are compelled to conclude that they are not protected speech.  

This article was derived from the book 1726: The Year that Defined America by Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt who received a supernatural call from God to reconnect America to the severed roots of her Christian origins in the First Great Awakening. His numerous books are available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? REFLECTIONS ON CHARLIE KIRK'S MEMORAL SERVICE AND THE FUTURE OF AMERICA

Charlie Kirk is with Jesus whom he boldly and consistently confessed as his Lord. I am sure that as he entered that heavenly realm, he heard those words of Jesus, "Well done good and faithful servant . . . enter into the joy of your Lord" (Matthew 25:21).

I did not watch the entire Memorial Service, but what I saw profoundly impressed me. Jesus was exalted and honored. Several said it was like a revival meeting. Invitations were given for people to receive Christ as Lord and Savior.

Even President Donald Trump said, "This is like an old-time revival." Erika Kirk exalted Jesus and through tears forgave the assassin of her husband, quoting the words of Jesus on the cross. Even liberal outlets like CNN were impressed.

The biggest surprise for me was Donald Trump, Jr., whom I have never really liked. But he gave a heartfelt, Christ-centered presentation filled with quotations from Scripture that would put many modern pastors to shame.

I have never seen so many political leaders, including the president, vice-president, and members of his cabinet together in one place honoring Jesus and calling the nation back to Him. Probably not since the early days of the American Republic and Abraham Lincoln's Call to Prayer in the midst of the Civil War has there been such a gathering (see my books America's Revival Heritage and The Great Prayer Awaking of 1857-58).

I believe this could be the beginnings of the Great Awakening for which so many, myself included, have been praying.  Interestingly, on September10, shortly before Charlie was assassinated, an old hymn came to mind that I remembered singing as a child. The chorus goes,

Stand up, stand up for Jesus;
Ye soldiers of the Cross.
Lift high the royal banner;
It must not suffer loss.

In this Memorial Service, we saw people standing up for Jesus. Vice-President J.D. Vance told how he has been reluctant about publicly sharing his faith, and then said, "But in the past two weeks I have talked more about Jesus Christ than in all the rest of my political career." The Holy Spirit is stirring hearts everywhere to "stand up for Jesus!"

With at least 100,000 on site in Glendale, AZ and many millions watching on TV and live streams, there is no telling how many accepted Christ or renewed their faith in Him. This is wonderful, but after the crowds are gone and the excitement has subsided then comes the task of fulfilling the Great Commission, which is not to get converts but to "make disciples" (Matthew 28:18-20).

A disciple is a "committed follower and learner," and here at Hyatt Int'l Ministries and God's Word to Women, Inc., we have created a tool that will enable us to do our small part in carrying out this Great Commission. The Hyatt Institute is an online, Bible-based educational site that exists to "Disciple, Mentor, and Train a Generation of World-Changers for Christ."

There are presently three diploma-granting programs: Women Studies Program, Revival Studies Program, and Biblical Studies Program. However, anyone will be able to go to the site and purchase a course for their own personal enjoyment without committing to a program.

The launch date is set for October 2, which is also Yom Kippur on the Jewish calendar. If you would like to be put on an email list to receive updates about the Institute, send an email with your name and contact information to the director, Rhonda Klug at hyattinstitute.director@outlook.com.

In closing, I will leave you with the words of Jesus in the Scripture alluded to above. Just before ascending back into heaven, He said to His disciples, 

All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth, Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is committed to restoring America's founding principles and ideals of Faith and Freedom. He has founded the "1726 Project" and has authored numerous books on the topic, including 1726:The Year that Defined America and The Book that Made America Great, all available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com.

MODERN ISRAEL'S TITLE DEED FROM GOD TO THE LAND IN WHICH THEY NOW DWELL

During the past several days I experienced a stirring in my spirit to write an article showing the Biblical basis for Israel's right to the land, wherein they now dwell. With the upheaval in the Middle East and the rise of antisemitism in America, this article is both strategic and timely. I pray that it will have its intended purpose.

The Call of Abraham

Four thousand years ago God spoke to a lone individual named Abram in the land of Haran, which was present day Iraq. God called Abram to go into a land that He would show him and promised,

I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those you bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you (Genesis 12:3).

The Promise with an Oath

After arriving in what was known as Canaan, God said to Abram, To your descendants I will give this land (Genesis 12:7). God would reaffirm this promise to Abram on several occasions, such as Genessis 13:14 where He said to Abram, Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.

Being childless, advanced in years, and with many tribal groups in the land, Abram asked God for confirmation, saying, Sovereign Lord, how shall I know that I will gain possession of it? God responded by putting Himself under oath and making a covenant with Abram concerning the land. After describing the oath ritual, Genesis 15:18-21 says,

On that say the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates—the land Kenites, Kenezzites,  Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.

Why would God put Himself under oath since it was impossible for Him to lie? He did this for Abraham and succeeding generations to make clear the surety of the promise. God put Himself under oath and made a covenant with Abram to give the land to him and his descendants.

The Promise Affirmed Again

When Abram was 99, God changed his name from Abram, meaning “exalted father,” to Abraham, meaning “father of a multitude.” God then reaffirmed his covenant promise concerning the land, saying,

And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also, I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger; all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God – Genesis 17:7-8

During this same visitation, God told Abraham that his descendants would be strangers in a land not their own for 400 years and afterward would return to this land with great possessions. This was fulfilled when Abraham’s great grandson, Joseph, became the prime minister of Egypt during a great famine and Abraham’s offspring moved to Egypt where they were sustained by Joseph.

However, after Joseph died, the Egyptians enslaved the Hebrews, as they were called. However, when the time of their deliverance came through Moses, there was no question as to where they would go. They would return to the land that had been promised them by God to their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They would return to the Land of Promise.

Led by Moses and then Joshua, the descendants of Abraham possessed the land that had been promised to them. Later, under the reigns of David and Solomon Israel flourished and became the dominant force in the Middle East. However, succeeding generations turned away from God and worshipped false gods, which brought on them the consequences that God had warned would happen.

The Scattering of Israel

Shortly after departing Egypt, God spoke through Moses of the blessings that would be theirs if they loved and obeyed Him, and the curses that would come if they turned away from Him and worshipped other gods. He warned that if they turned to other gods, Then the LORD will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other (Deuteronomy 28:64).

This warning has been literally fulfilled at least twice. The first time was when the Assyrians and Babylonians conquered Israel, destroyed the temple in Jersualem, slaughtered many of her citizens, and carried many away as captives.

God restored them to their land through Nehemiah and Ezra, and the temple was finally rebuilt through Herod the Great. At the time of the Gospels, Israel was flourishing, although under the thumb of the Romans who allowed them much autonomy and freedom.

The leaders of Israel, however, rejected Jesus as the Messiah and turned Him over to the Romans for crucifixion. Then, in a.d. 70, the Jews rebelled against Rome. The Roman General Titus then came with a large Roman army and besieged Jerusalem. They broke through the walls, razed the city, destroyed the temple, and enslaved thousands.

The Romans left a remnant of Jews in the area and 70 years later, in a.d. 135, another rebellion, led Simon bar Kokhba, erupted. This time, the Romans were even more brutal in their response.

They completely destroyed the villages that remained and pursued the people who tried to escape and slaughtered them wherever they were found. Thousands were enslaved. Although a smattering of Jews survived and remained in the land, Israel as a nation was no more.

The Origin of the Name “Palestine”

The nation was gone and to add insult to injury, the Romans called the land that had once been Israel, “Palestine.” This name was derived from Israel’s ancient enemy, the Philistines. The Philistines had disappeared centuries before, but the Romans concocted the name as an insult and slur to surviving Jews.

So, Palestine was originally neither a nation or a people. It was a name that applied to the land itself. And after this final revolt, the people who lived on this land were Arabs and a smattering of Jews. The use of “Palestinian” to refer to a people group did not emerge until the 20th century, and especially after the establishment of the modern state of Israel.

The Regathering of Israel

Along with the warnings of being scattered to the ends of the earth if they broke covenant with Him, were the many promises of God that He would gather them from the places where they had been scattered, I have no doubt that the establishment of the modern state of Israel is a fulfillment of those promises from God. The following are mere samples of the many promises concerning the regathering of Israel.

After warning the people through Moses that He would scatter them among the nations if they turned from Him to idolatry, God also promised,

The LORD your God will bring you back from captivity and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD you God has scattered you (Deuteronomy 30:3).

Isaiah also spoke of God regathering Israel from throughout the earth. In Isaiah 11:11-12 he proclaimed, saying,

In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth.

More than once, Jeremiah prophesied of the regathering of Israel from the nations where they had been scattered. In Jeremiah 16:15b, God says plainly, For I will restore them to the land I gave their ancestors. Then in Jeremiah 31:8-9, God speaks again, declaring,

 Behold I will bring them from the north country and gather them from the ends of the earth . . . Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, “He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep him as a shepherd does his flock.”

Ezekiel also prophesied of Israel’s regathering. In Ezekiel 37:24, God says, For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.

There is no question in my mind that the Zionist movement that began in the late 19th century in which Jews all over the world began to desire to return to the land of their ancestors, was an act of God. Then, the restoration of Israel as a nation in 1948 fulfilled, at least in part, the many promises from God that he would regather the descendants of Abraham back to their land.

Modern Israelis Are the Descendants of Abraham

Some try to claim that the people occupying the modern state of Israel are not true Jews, but there is no reason for thinking this. God gave Abraham and later Moses certain distinctive rituals and traditions that were to be passed along from generation to generation. These include keeping the Sabbath, circumcision, keeping certain feasts such as Passover, Yom Kippur, and the Feast of Tabernacles.

These traditions have been kept by Jews down through the centuries making them easy to identify. Those who have persecuted the Jews through the centuries have had no problem identifying them. These include the Crusaders of the Middle Ages who murdered thousands of Jews, the Catholics in Spain who massacred thousands of Jews in 1391, Spain’s rulers who expelled all Jews in 1492, massacres in Russia in the 19th century, and Hitler and the Nazis in the 20th century.

These evil people have had no problem identifying who were the real Jews, and there is no reason to believe that those in the modern state of Israel, speaking Hebrew as their national language, are not the true descendants of Abraham.

I have heard some seek to apply the words of Jesus in Revelation 2:9b to the modern state of Israel. Jesus said to His followers in the city Smyrna, I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

To apply this to modern Israel requires a flight from logic and an ignoring of sound principles of interpretation. This statement was made by Jesus 2000 years ago to a particular congregation in the ancient city of Smyrna in present day Turkey. To arbitrarily apply it to Israel today, cannot be justified.

The World Needs Jesus

Israel has never been perfect, which is why in the OT God continually raised up prophets to confront her about her sins and idolatry. She can be criticized for misguided policies but one cannot oppose Israel’s right to the land wherein they now dwell and be on the right side of God and history.

Yes, we care about the sufferings of the people in Gaza and pray for their salvation. We cannot forget, however, that they chose a terrorist organization, Hamas, to be their governing authority. May this be a time when their hearts are softened and they truly desire peace with their Jewish neighbors.

The bottom line is that both Jew and Palestinian needs Jesus. I heard a Jewish rabbi, who had embraced Jesus as the Messiah, say that what would do Gaza more good than anything would be some Billy Graham type crusades calling the masses to Jesus.

Paul would agree. Speaking of the great gulf between Jew and Gentile, Paul said of Jesus, He Himself is our Peace who has made both one . . . that He might reconcile them both to God (Ephesians 2:14-18).

Let us pray for a great Jesus awakening throughout the Middle East, for that is the only hope for true peace in that region and in all the world. And in the meantime, we must not forget that Israel has a title deed from God--in writing--to the land wherein they now dwell.

Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt is a Bible teacher, revivalist, historian and ordained minister. His numerous books on America's Christian heritage and other Biblical and theological topics are available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com.

 

Remembering 911, Charlie Kirk and Our National Christian Origins

As we today remember the tragic events of 911 and mourn yesterday's assassination of Charlie Kirk, let us also remember where we came from as a nation. This is vital for as the noted historian Carl Sandburg said, "When a nation goes down or a society perishes, one condition may always be found; they forgot where they came from."

No one is better qualified to remind us of where we came from than the famous senator from Massachusetts, Daniel Webster (1782–1852), who was born when the nation was still in her infancy. Speaking in 1820 at the 200-year anniversary celebration of the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, Webster said,

Finally, let us not forget the religious character of our origin. Our fathers were brought hither by their high veneration for the Christian religion. They journeyed by its light and labored in its hope. They sought to incorporate its principles with the elements of their society, and to diffuse its influence through all their institutions, civil, political, or literary. Let us cherish these sentiments and extend this influence still more widely; in the full conviction, that that is the happiest society which partakes in the highest degree of the mild peaceful spirit of Christianity (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 43).

Webster made it plain where the principles and ideals for the founding of America originated. They did not come Marxism, secularism, or Islamism.  It was Bible-believing Christians who founded America and made her into the freest and most prosperous nation in history. May we prayerfully reflect on this reality and pray for another Great Awakening that will return the nation to her roots of Faith and Freedom.

During an interview on Newsmax about the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Dana Loesch said, "America needs Jesus!" She is so right! He is our only hope. Yesterday, just before I heard the news of his assassination, an old hymn came to mind that I remembered singing as a child. The chorus says,

Stand up, stand up for Jesus;
Ye soldiers of the Cross.
Lift high the royal banner;
It must not suffer loss.

Eddie Hyatt's many books, including 1726:The Year that Defined America and The Book that Made America Great, are available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com.

THE PROFOUND IMPACT OF THE BIBLE ON THE FOUNDING OF AMERICA

IS THE BIBLE AMERICA'S REAL FOUNDING DOCUMENT?

“The Bible contains the most profound philosophy, the most perfect morality, and the most refined policy that was ever conceived on earth.” – John Adams

"The right to freedom being the gift of Almighty God, may be best understood by reading and carefully studying the institutions of the Great Lawgiver and Head of the Christian Church, which are to be found clearly written in the New Testament." - Samuel Adams

"Had the doctrines of Jesus been preached always as pure as they came from his lips, the whole civilized world would now have been Christian." – Thomas Jefferson

"The Bible is the first and almost the only Book deserving of universal attention and a source of the most perfect morality.” – John Quincy Adams

“That Book, sir, is the Rock on which our Republic rests.” – Andrew Jackson

 “To the free and universal reading of the Bible in that age, men were much indebted for right views of civil liberty.” – Daniel Webster

"The American pioneers penetrated the wilds of the New World with the Bible, an axe, and some newspapers." - Alexis de Tocqueville

“No other book of any kind ever written in English has ever so affected the whole life of a people.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Every session of the Continental Congress opened with a time of Bible reading and prayer. 

The first English Bible printed in the United States was in 1782  "for the use in schools," and included a statement from the U.S. Congress recommending it "to all the inhabitants of the United States."

It was no afterthought that George Washington took the first presidential oath of office with his hand on a Bible and swore to uphold and defend the U.S. Constitution. It was an intentional act that expressed his commitment to the Bible as the ultimate source of truth and guidance for his administration. It also showed that he considered the presidential oath of office to be a sacred and solemn act before God.

"For centuries, the Bible has exerted an unrivaled influence on American culture, politics, and social life. Now historians are discovering that the Bible, perhaps even more than the Constitution, is our founding document." - Newsweek, 27 Dec. 1982.

The above is a mere sampling from my latest book entitled, The Book that Made America Great. This book is both strategic and timely, for a battle is raging for the heart and soul of America.  Secularists, Marxists, and liberal Christians want to remove every vestige of the Bible from the public life of the nation.

This book destroys the arguments of these Leftists who insist that America was founded as a secularist nation. It documents the profound and pervasive influence of the Bible on every aspect of life in the founding generation. The book is available from Amazon and my website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com.

God bless you!

Eddie Hyatt