Shows
Fire of FreedomAmerican Family History: "Of Plimouth Plantation"In today’s episode we’ll be diving into our American family history, learning about some of the people who came to North America in the mid-1600’s. In learning about them, we also learn something of what it means to be American.
The history called, “Of Plimoth Plantation,” written by the second governor of Plimoth (Plymouth) Plantation, William Bradford, tells the story of the people who came to America on the Mayflower. Some of those on the boat called themselves “Saints,” while others were called by the Saints, Strangers. Although the story Of Plimoth Plantation eventually becomes the st...2024-08-2208 minFire of FreedomFamily History, Identity, and What It Means to be AmericanMore than just an enjoyable hobby, knowing our personal family history can give us a sense of identity and of belonging. We need that in this crazy, deep-fake, Instagram world where traditional values have eroded, truth seems to change constantly, and people communicate more often with strangers on the other side of the country, or the world, than with their neighbor three houses down.
Everybody goes through hardships. I do. You do. And the perfect family on social media does.
Learning about the hardships that our ancestors experienced and how they handled them has the...2024-08-0808 minFire of FreedomParables on Business, Rights, and Self-GovernanceIn today’s episode, I want us to think about economic policies. To help in that, I’ll share two parables.
One reason that parables are powerful is that they can teach different lessons to different people, and even teach different lessons to the same people when considered at different times. A parable can have a primary meaning or lesson but may also teach or convey additional lessons.
The two parables I am about to share are from the New Testament portion of the Bible, specifically, the Book of Matthew. The primary topic of the para...2024-04-2411 minFire of FreedomSelf-Governance, the Right of Contract, and the Inalienable Right to WorkToday we’ll be discussing self-governance, the right of contract, and the inalienable right to work. Our context will be a supreme court case from 1905, which is an example of the government appearing to be compassionate, purporting to take care of those who cannot take care of themselves, but in reality, at least in part if not in whole, protecting some businesses at the expense of others. In other words, the case involves a law that was anti-competitive. Just as some of today’s regulations are anti-competitive.2024-04-0410 minFire of FreedomLaws That Want to Do Good, But Their Means Trample RightsIn today’s episode we'll be hearing the words of an American founding father who was killed in a duel, and of a Democratic president who served near the end of the 19th century.
We at times make choices and support policies that as a past United States president wrote, “indulge our charitable sentiments” but do not bring about true public welfare or individual good. In other words, in a desire to help others, we may trample the rights of some or many, including those we wish to help. Efforts made in good will may not only weaken...2024-03-1705 minFire of FreedomPrinciples and Lessons: Declaration of Independence, Part 8In today’s episode we’ll continue learning about just and free government, with a primary focus on lessons from the Declaration’s presentation of facts which were meant to prove to the world the tyranny of Great Britain’s King.
Reasons 1,2,6: Government is essential to public and individual well-being. Laws and their enforcement are critical to maintaining the public good.2024-03-0908 minFire of FreedomPrinciples and Lessons: Declaration of Independence, Part 7In the first episode on the Declaration of Independence, I mentioned that a key criterion for a choosing a president of the United States is whether or not he or she knows and will uphold the principles, limitations, and governmental structure of the Constitution and of the Declaration of Independence. Today we’ll begin discussing what some of those are. These lessons are essential in this time of choosing those who will run our government and in knowing which laws are good and which are bad.
These lessons are drawn from the Declaration of Independence and include ot...2024-03-0207 minFire of FreedomBetter than Uncapturing Federal Agencies: An Open LetterWelcome to the Fire of Freedom Podcast where I’ll be discussing the principles of liberty and responsibility. In today’s episode I’ll be presenting an open letter to RFK Jr, Donald J. Trump, Congress, and the American people, regarding the federal administrative and regulatory agencies.
RFK Jr. has said he wants to uncapture the federal regulatory agencies. If he is successful, it would mean that the agencies are no longer controlled by the groups or people they are supposed to regulate and who instead, they favor. That’s a start. And he can constitutionally do better t...2024-02-2013 minFire of Freedom"We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms": Declaration of Independence, Part 6Welcome to the Fire of Freedom Podcast where I’ll be discussing the principles of liberty and responsibility. In today’s episode you’ll hear the final sections of the Declaration of Independence wherein the colonists justify their forming a new nation and conclude their declaration that through obedience to duty they “are, and of Right ought to be Free and independent”.2024-02-0706 minFire of FreedomGrievances against King George III: Declaration of Independence, Part 5In today’s episode you’ll hear the body of the Declaration of Independence wherein the list of King George’s despotic offenses are offered to the world as evidence of the moral obligation the American people had to form a new government that would secure their God-given rights as human beings.
From these listed offenses you can distill principles of both good and bad government that will assist you in knowing who to vote for and what laws to support or oppose. They help teach what makes a person or group of people tyrann...2024-01-3006 minFire of Freedom"Expression of the American Mind": Declaration of Independence, Part 4In today’s episode you’ll hear some of what Thomas Jefferson called “an expression of the American mind.” These are principles of liberty and God-given rights that justified and compelled the colonists to declare their independence from tyranny at the risk of their lives. They are principles that are still true today. We must know them so that we can defend and sustain them. 2024-01-2503 minFire of FreedomDeclaration of Independence: An Introduction, Part 3In today's episode, I speak about the importance of reading and knowing the Declaration of Independence ourselves and not just consuming the critiques of others.
Do you know why the Declaration was written? Do you know what principles of government it teaches or what it states about human nature? Do you know in what capacities it mentions God? Have you thought about what it might mean today … if it says anything about today? And about how we ought to run our government, and who we ought to elect, and what laws we ought to denounce or support?2024-01-1804 minFire of FreedomDeclaration of Independence: An Introduction, Part 2In today's episode, learn when the real Independence Day was and who the original signers of the Declaration of Independence were.
2024-01-1004 minFire of FreedomThe Declaration of Independence: Part 1Part one of a series of bite-sized gems discussing one of the most important, historic documents of the United States of America: the Declaration of Independence.
The Declaration of Independence is one of the most famous founding documents of the United States of America. But why should it be of concern to you, and why right now? We are in the midst of presidential campaigning. How can we properly choose a president or any government official if we do not know and understand the constitution and the declaration of Independence?
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