The WallBuilders Show

• Biblical Citizenship in Modern America, Week 2, part 4

  What if everything you've been taught about America's relationship with slavery was incomplete? In this eye-opening episode of Biblical Citizenship in Modern America, Tim Barton challenges prevailing narratives by unveiling forgotten heroes and overlooked facts that paint a more nuanced picture of American history.Barton introduces us to James Armistead, a Black patriot whose crucial intelligence work led to the decisive American victory at Yorktown, effectively ending the Revolutionary War. He draws a powerful connection: the American Revolution began with the death of Black patriot Crispus Attucks at the Boston Massacre and was won largely through the intelligence provided by another Black patriot. "You can't even fully tell the story of the American Revolution without including the contributions of Black heroes and Black patriots in American history," Barton emphasizes.The episode traces how these vital contributions were systematically erased from our historical consciousness, particularly through the racist scholarship of Woodrow Wilson, who removed every Black person from his influential history books while promoting white supremacist ideology. This deliberate omission has distorted Americans' understanding of their own history for generations.Perhaps most challenging to contemporary narratives, Barton presents compelling evidence of America's leadership in opposing slavery. America was the first nation to legally ban the slave trade (1807), the fourth nation globally to abolish slavery entirely (1865), and currently ranks second worldwide in fighting modern slavery. While acknowledging America's participation in "something that was very, very evil," Barton contextualizes this within the universal presence of slavery throughout human history while highlighting America's exceptional record in working to end it."If you look at any atrocity in American history and ask 'how did it end in America?', what you will always find is the reason those atrocities ended is because Christians stood up and said 'we can't do this anymore,'" Barton explains. This moral foundation, rooted in biblical principles and constitutional values, has enabled America to correct its course faster than virtually any other nation.Ready to discover the complete story of America's founding and development? Explore the full Biblical Citizenship course at biblicalcitizens.com and equip yourself to become part of preserving and extending America's legacy of freedom.Support the show

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• Biblical Citizenship in Modern America, Week 2, part 3

  Dive deep into the untold story of America's founding as we challenge the popular but incomplete narratives being taught today. The heart of America's origin isn't found in 1619 with the arrival of enslaved Africans, but in the competing legacies of two foundational colonies: Jamestown and Plymouth. While both settlements influenced American development, their contrasting approaches to slavery and liberty have shaped our nation in profoundly different ways.Did you know Plymouth Colony outlawed the transatlantic slave trade in 1641, decades before our nation's founding? When enslaved Africans arrived in Plymouth in 1646, authorities imprisoned the ship's crew and freed all the captives - a remarkable stand against slavery rarely mentioned in modern historical discussions.Even more compelling are the stories of Black American heroes who helped forge our nation from its earliest days. You'll meet Reverend Harry Hoosier, whose powerful evangelism during the Second Great Awakening led to so many conversions that Indiana eventually became known as the "Hoosier State." You'll discover patriots like Wentworth Cheswell, elected to multiple offices by predominantly white communities; Prince Estabrook, who fought at Lexington Green; and James Armistead Lafayette, whose spy work provided the critical intelligence that led to American victory at Yorktown. These extraordinary individuals embodied America's founding ideals long before they were fully realized for all citizens.By examining our history through a more complete lens, we gain a deeper appreciation for America's founding vision—not as a nation built on oppression, but as one founded on revolutionary principles of liberty that generations of Americans of all backgrounds have worked to fulfill. Join us as we rediscover the full richness of our shared heritage and the ongoing pursuit of America's founding promise.Support the show

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• Biblical Citizenship in Modern America, Week 2, part 2

  What happens at the intersection of faith and culture? In this captivating exploration of Biblical Citizenship in Modern America, we uncover the profound biblical foundations that shaped America's founding documents and continue to guide our nation today.At the heart of this episode lies a powerful revelation: the Castle Doctrine—the principle that "a man's house is his castle"—stems directly from biblical teaching and natural law. Through fascinating historical insights, we trace how this concept went from Scripture to the courtrooms of colonial America, where attorney James Otis's passionate defense against British "writs of assistance" in 1761 sparked what John Adams later called the moment when "American independence was born."Discover how this biblical understanding of property rights and individual sovereignty influenced multiple Constitutional amendments. The Second Amendment protects our right to defend our homes, the Third Amendment prevents government quartering of troops in private homes, and the Fourth Amendment guards against unreasonable searches—all reflecting the biblical principle that God establishes distinct jurisdictions for different institutions.As we examine the dramatic shift between colonial American values and today's prevailing worldview, we confront challenging questions about historical revisionism and the true nature of America's founding principles. Were America's founding ideals "false when they were written" as some modern narratives suggest? Or do they represent timeless truths about God-given rights that transcend our nation's imperfect implementation of them?This episode offers more than just historical insights—it provides practical wisdom for how Christians can speak biblical truth into cultural issues and reclaim the heritage that made America exceptional. By understanding these foundational principles and their biblical roots, we're better equipped to preserve the freedoms purchased at such great cost by previous generations.Ready to deepen your understanding of biblical citizenship? Visit biblicalcitizens.com to access our free eight-week course and discover how to host it in your home or church.Support the show

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• Biblical Citizenship in Modern America, Week 2, part 1

  The torch of freedom burns brightest when citizens understand their biblical responsibility to tend God's garden of civil government. In this illuminating episode from the Biblical Citizenship in Modern America course, David Barton reveals how America's founding principles derive from Scripture—not merely as religious influence but as the deliberate blueprint for our constitutional republic.Why does America's constitution endure as the longest-lasting in world history when most constitutions historically survive only 17 years? The answer lies in Genesis, where God established three distinct yet interconnected spheres of government: self-government, family government, and civil government—with church government appearing later. Each institution has its unique jurisdiction and responsibility, yet they can cooperate to strengthen families, cultivate strong Christians, and develop educated citizens.The evidence for America's biblical foundation is overwhelming. When researchers analyzed 15,000 writings from America's founding era, they discovered 34% of all quotes came directly from Scripture. The Declaration's principles—a divine Creator, fixed moral law, inalienable rights, and government's purpose to protect those rights—emerge directly from biblical teaching.Perhaps most compelling is the founders' understanding of self-defense as an inalienable right based on "the laws of nature and nature's God." John Adams declared this right "indisputable" while James Wilson, a Declaration and Constitution signer, taught that "the great natural law of self-preservation cannot be repealed or superseded by any human institution."Christians today have largely abandoned their responsibility to tend God's garden across all spheres of society. When mayors of major American cities win with just 2-6% of adults voting, we see the consequences of this retreat. As one participant powerfully noted, "Christian escapism is the stuff that fallen cultures are made of."America stands at a crossroads. Will believers reclaim their biblical responsibility to engage civically, or will they continue retreating from the public square? The answer may determine whether this great experiment in liberty, built on biblical principles, will endure for generations to come.Support the show

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• When Church and State Collide: What Madison Really Believed

  The relationship between faith and government remains one of America's most contested issues, with many Americans believing James Madison advocated for a strict separation pushing religion out of public life. But what if everything we've been told about Madison's views is fundamentally wrong?Mark David Hall joins us to unravel the fascinating history behind Madison's "Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments," revealing how this document has been weaponized to promote secular policies contrary to Madison's intentions. Rather than opposing religion's influence in public life, Madison was protecting Christianity from government control that he believed would corrupt faith itself.The story begins in colonial Virginia, where all citizens were taxed to support the Anglican Church regardless of their personal faith. After the Revolutionary War, Patrick Henry proposed taxing citizens to support the Christian denomination of their choice. Madison opposed this plan not because he was anti-religion, but because he believed Christianity would thrive better without government entanglement. As Hall explains, Madison's concern was with government control over religion, not religious influence on government.For decades, the Supreme Court cited Madison's Memorial and Remonstrance as justification for removing religious expression from public life—a complete misreading of Madison's intent. The First Amendment's Establishment Clause creates a one-way barrier restricting government interference with religion, not vice versa. Madison himself participated in numerous religious activities as a public official, including approving church services in the Capitol building and chaplains for Congress.This profound misunderstanding has serious implications for religious liberty today. By reclaiming the founders' true vision, we can protect faith's rightful place in American life while still preserving the institutional separation that benefits both church and state. Madison's wisdom offers guidance for navigating these complex issues in our increasingly diverse society.Share this episode with friends to help others discover the true history behind one of America's most misunderstood constitutional principles.Support the show

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