Thursday, October 17, 2013

Thu, 17 Oct 2013
Dave Thompson

Ancient Egypt, biblical Persia, first-century Rome, Revolution-era Britain. All civilizations that have crossed a “red line of liberty,” in attempting to suppress their people in religious freedom, undermining the family as the foundation of society, and disarming their people.

The same line that the United States of America is about to cross.

Those were words that Liberty University School of Law Dean Mathew Staver had for the 2013 Values Voter Summit.

Dean Staver spoke at the summit in Washington, D.C. Saturday, speaking of oppressive regimes throughout history, and warning that, if left unchecked, the U.S. government could join the ranks of those civilizations that crossed that “red line.”

“It was in Egypt that the red line of liberty was crossed by Pharaoh, when he began to suppress the Israelites and turn them into slaves, and to disregard the dignity of humanity that was created by God himself. But Moses rose up and said, ‘Let my people go.’ And, today we celebrate Passover,” Dean Staver said.

“The King of Persia sought to annihilate the Jewish people, but Esther rose up for such a time as this. And, today we celebrate the Feast of Purim,” Dean Staver continued.

“Antiochus defiled the Jewish Temple and sought to force the Jews to worship Greek gods. The Maccabees revolted. And, today we celebrate Hanukah,” Dean Stave intoned.

Dean Staver then traced history up to the American Revolution. “The red line of liberty was crossed in the American Revolution, and today we celebrate Independence Day.”

“Today, I believe we are approaching the same red line of liberty,” he said.

He particularly spoke out about ObamaCare, which requires employers to pay for abortions. “This is unprecedented, because never before in our history, other than the American Revolution, has the government been on such a collision course with religious liberty,” Dean Staver said.

Dean Staver asked the audience to consider whether future generations would remember these times as the death of liberty or as its rebirth.

“The future generations will not write that our generation lost liberty, but that liberty will be reborn in our lifetime,” Dean Staver concluded.