Without a doubt, Daniel Webster is America’s most notable jurist. And while I would not concur with all of Webster’s political positions, he was absolutely correct when he said, “God grants liberty only to those who love it, and are always ready to guard and defend it.” Thus, loving, guarding, and defending liberty is the full-time responsibility of every American. Unfortunately, not every American loves freedom enough to guard and defend it. In fact, many Americans are actively engaged in the pursuit of ideas and principles that are diametrically opposed to liberty. And sadder still is the fact that many of these people would call themselves “Christians.”
Let’s be honest: calling oneself a “Christian” means nothing. Many self-professed Christians are just as crooked and dishonest as those who make no Christian profession. Many of them are just as mean-spirited, vengeful, and hateful as any other group of people on the planet. And, just as with virtually any other group of people, not every Christian is a friend of freedom.
Not every Republican is a friend of freedom. Not every Democrat is a friend of freedom. Not every military service member is a friend of freedom. Not every pastor is a friend of freedom. Not every attorney is a friend of freedom. Not every physician is a friend of freedom. Not every civil magistrate is a friend of freedom. Not every engineer is a friend of freedom. Not every priest is a friend of freedom. Not every actor is a friend of freedom. Not every school teacher is a friend of freedom. Not every newscaster or journalist is a friend of freedom. Not every policeman or sheriff’s deputy is a friend of freedom. Not every movie producer is a friend of freedom. Not every businessman is a friend of freedom. Ad infinitum.
In the Christian realm, the same is true. Not every Baptist is a friend of freedom. Not every Pentecostal is a friend of freedom. Not every Methodist is a friend of freedom. Not every Presbyterian is a friend of freedom. Not every Seventh Day Adventist is a friend of freedom. Not every Catholic is a friend of freedom. Not every Christian and Missionary Alliance member is a friend of freedom. Not every Full Gospel member is a friend of freedom. Not every Holiness member is a friend of freedom. Not every Church of Christ member is a friend of freedom. Not every Lutheran is a friend of freedom. Not every Mennonite is a friend of freedom. Not every non-denominationalist is a friend of freedom. And so on.
At this point, let’s identify some of freedom’s friends. Limited government is a friend of freedom. State sovereignty is a friend of freedom. Honesty and integrity is a friend of freedom. Personal morality is a friend of freedom. Individual responsibility is a friend of freedom. An armed citizenry is a friend of freedom. Freedom of conscience is a friend of freedom. Free speech and association is a friend of freedom. The right to protest and redress government is a friend of freedom. A free press (which we do not have much of anymore) is a friend of freedom. The ownership of private property is a friend of freedom. Free enterprise (which we don’t have much of, either) is a friend of freedom. Eternal vigilance is a friend of freedom. A fully informed jury (which is hard to find nowadays) is a friend of freedom. The spirit of resistance is a friend of freedom. Distrust of government is a friend of freedom. The State militia (which desperately needs to be resurrected) is a friend of freedom. A thorough knowledge of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights is a friend of freedom. Military and police personnel who demonstrate fidelity to their oath are friends of freedom. Familiarity with the principles of Revealed and Natural Law is a friend of freedom, etc.
Likewise, let’s identify some of the enemies of freedom. Big Government is an enemy of freedom. Big Business is an enemy of freedom. Big Labor is an enemy of freedom. Big Religion is an enemy of freedom. Internationalism is an enemy of freedom. The personal graduated income tax is an enemy of freedom. Gun control is an enemy of freedom. A biased and controlled press is an enemy of freedom. An indifferent and cowardly pulpit is an enemy of freedom. Socialism is an enemy of freedom. Fascism is an enemy of freedom. Corporatism is an enemy of freedom. The moral breakdown of society is an enemy of freedom. Abortion-on-demand is an enemy of freedom. Devotion to a political party at the expense of truth and liberty is an enemy of freedom. Devotion to a local church or Christian denomination at the expense of truth and liberty is an enemy of freedom. The love of money and materialism is an enemy of freedom. The love of comfort and ease is an enemy of freedom. Big cities are an enemy of freedom. Fear and cowardice is an enemy of freedom. The United Nations is an enemy of freedom. Organizations such as the Council on Foreign Relations, the Bilderbergers, the Trilateral Commission, Skull and Bones, etc., are enemies of freedom. Perpetual war is an enemy of freedom. The “War on Drugs” and the “War on Terror” is an enemy of freedom. Unconstitutional government is an enemy of freedom. Teachers and professors who use the classroom to promote socialism are enemies of freedom. The vast majority of entitlement programs are an enemy of freedom. Deficit spending is an enemy of freedom. Welfarism and Warfarism are alike enemies of freedom. The Federal Reserve and fiat money system are enemies of freedom. Groups such as the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) are enemies of freedom. Foreign aid is an enemy of freedom. Big Brother is an enemy of freedom.
The enemies of freedom can be Christian or agnostic, Jew or Gentile, Protestant or Catholic, Mormon or Jehovah’s Witness, white or black, rich or poor, educated or illiterate, male or female, Republican or Democrat, northerner or southerner, etc.
Commitment and dedication to liberty is an individual matter. For example, not every gun magazine editor is a friend of freedom. Not every person who subscribes to a gun magazine or goes hunting or shooting is a friend of freedom. Not every gun manufacturer is a friend of freedom. To some of these people, the gun industry is simply a matter of business. It has nothing to do with freedom. This is easily observed in the way that some of them are unwilling to protest or resist the current gun control legislation being proposed in Washington, D.C. Should the people’s right to keep and bear arms be expunged, the profit-minded people in some parts of the gun industry would simply re-tailor their businesses in catering to government consumption of their products in much the same way that gun makers did in Nazi Germany.
Thank God not everyone in the gun business only sees their product as a dollar sign. Many of them actually believe in the Second Amendment. Imagine that! This is demonstrated in the way that scores of them have said that if the people are denied the right to own a semi-automatic rifle, they would stop selling their products to government agencies and personnel. Hooray! This should be the position of EVERY gun-related business in the country. Remington, Smith and Wesson, Glock, Beretta, Taurus, Springfield, Bushmaster, Ruger, Colt, and Winchester, ARE YOU LISTENING?
When it comes to the question of who are the friends of freedom in the church, it is time for those believers who are true freedomists to seriously begin evaluating their religious associations. Why would any true Christian freedomist want to remain part of an organization that has made it clear that it will NOT stand for freedom? Why would any Christian who knows the importance of taking a stand for liberty want to remain part of a church where the pastor and most members of that congregation share no burden to guard and defend it?
The questions above were among the motivations for me and my family to move to the Flathead Valley of Montana back in 2010. We wanted very much to be around genuine liberty-loving people. And our church, Liberty Fellowship, is comprised of liberty lovers in a way that I have never seen in my life. In fact, many people are so hungry for such a Christian fellowship that they have moved hundreds and even thousands of miles (as we did) to be a part of it. And this move has been made with much hardship for most of them. Such is their yearning for and commitment to liberty.
Here is the Liberty Fellowship website:
And for what it’s worth, if you are seriously considering such a move, here is the email address of the man at Liberty Fellowship who has made it his full-time business to provide people with helpful information who want to relocate to the Flathead Valley. His name is George, and his email address is hudnut1940@gmail.com.
Freedom has many enemies, and, yes, many friends. I, for one, am determined to be a friend to all who are friends of liberty, and, yes, an enemy to all who are enemies of liberty–no matter what they call themselves. I share Daniel Webster’s sentiments: “God grants liberty only to those who love it, and are always ready to guard and defend it.”
Dr. Chuck Baldwin left the Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida to move to Montana. He hosts a weekly radio show. His website is here.
