The Remarkable Sources of the Pilgrims' Successful Survival

In spite of the historical dilution added over the years, every American raised in our school system no doubt believes he/she knows the story of the Pilgrims’ struggle and success in the New World. Images of that first Thanksgiving, similar to the picture here, flood our minds when we bother to think of it at all. In reality, most Americans probably know very little about this band of colonists who risked all for their freedom to simply obediently worship God.

The primary source of their successful survival was their reliance upon God. Regardless of their circumstance, the Pilgrims gave thanks to God. In his journal, William Bradford writes, "What could now sustain them but the spirit of God and His grace? May not and ought not the children of these fathers rightly say: Our fathers were Englishmen which came over this great ocean, and were ready to perish in this wilderness; but they cried unto the Lord, and he heard their voice and looked on their adversity, etc. Let them therefore praise the Lord, because he is good and his mercies endure forever. Yea, let them which have been redeemed of the Lord show how he hath delivered them from the hand of the oppressor. When they wandered in the desert wilderness out of the way, and found no city to dwell in, both hungry and thirsty, their soul was overwhelmed in them. Let them confess before the Lord his loving kindness, and his wonderful works before the sons of men." (The Heritage of America, Henry S. Commager & Allan Nevins, editors, p. 34)

The second source of their successful survival was the colony leaders’ change of course from a communal economy to a market economy of private ownership. Destitute and on the brink of starvation even after receiving assistance from the natives, colony leaders identified the source of their problem as a particularly vile form of what Bradford called “communism.” Michael Franc, vice president of Government Relations at The Heritage Foundation, writes about the fruitful results of the Pilgrim’s shift in 1623 from a failed, socialist agricultural system to a free-market system of private ownership of property. This is the story of the Pilgrims that, for whatever reason, fails to make it into our curriculum. Had they not shed the system of “taking away property and bringing [it] into a commonwealth” (Bradford), we would not have a legacy of the Pilgrims to tell. Concerning the market economy that the Pilgrims implemented, Bradford reported, “This had very good success, for it made all hands very industrious... much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been.” The famine of 1623 gave way to abundance.

America has been blessed with much abundance over the years. This is truly a reality worthy of our most humble thanks-giving.

(Photo: Depiction of Thanksgiving)

The Golden Compass

Shortly before posting a blog about the upcoming movie The Golden Compass, I received an interesting article presenting an alternative view. Since my intent is to base my decisions and opinions on the factual evidence available, I want my readers to be aware of this as well.

The background of the emerging controversy surrounding The Golden Compass is documented on both the Truth or Fiction and Snopes websites. The movie is based on the novel Northern Lights (The Golden Compass in the United States) by English author Phillip Pullman, an overt atheist who reviles, among other things, The Chronicles of Narnia series of children’s stories written by C. S. Lewis. Lewis clearly intended his series to be an allegory of the Christian faith. The Truth or Fiction article reveals that “many view Pullman's books as a response to ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ but with an emphasis on ‘scientific materialism’ over religion. Pullman has criticized ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ as ‘religious propaganda.’ In 2001 he told Guardian Unlimited ‘I hate the Narnia books, and I hate them with deep and bitter passion, with their view of childhood as a golden age from which sexuality and adulthood are a falling away.’”

The Golden Compass, scheduled for release on December 7, 2007, is considered by critics and observers to be a “watered down” version of Pullman’s novel, meaning that the film itself is an “innocent and interesting” children’s adventure story. The concern being raised is that this “innocent” cinematic introduction to Pullman’s novels will lead to increased exposure of the unadulterated hatreds he expresses toward the Christian faith with no regard for any alternative exposure to the truth of Jesus Christ’s righteous purpose of saving love. The e-mails currently circulating offer a warning about both this motion picture and Pullman’s novels.

To be fair, however, not all professing Christians are encouraging a boycott of the movie. In one article I received, Yvon Prehn writes, “Rather than boycotting it, I think the movie provides a challenging opportunity for Christian communicators to explain and engage.” Her article goes on to explain some mischaracterizations about Pullman’s novels that are circulating in the e-mail messages. Providing correctives to some of the mischaracterizations is the reason why I include the reference to her article in this blog.

I retain the conclusion, though, that Christians will be better served to not attend this movie or purchase Pullman’s books. In theory, I concur with Prehn’s challenge for Christians to use this release as an opportunity to engage in thoughtful dialogue with those who watch the movie or read the books. I agree that thoughtful dialogue must be rooted in first-hand reflections of the messages of the movie and books. To the extent practicable, this is exactly what I attempt in my approach to Christian apologetics on any topic.

In practice, though, I sincerely doubt that such engaging, thoughtful dialogue will occur on any significant scale. Christians have tried recently to engage secular society through motion pictures such as The Passion of the Christ, The Nativity, and The Witch, the Lion, and the Wardrobe. Personally, I appreciate the efforts of those who have brought these monumental works to life on the “big screen” and do not mind supporting them. In spite of all the good intentions, though, I have not observed any significant thoughtful dialogue resulting from these productions. Similarly, I have not observed any significant thoughtful dialogue resulting from media that overtly or covertly carry an anti-Christian bias and message. I certainly have no intention of using my limited resources to provide financial support to those producers and authors who want to eradicate Christian expressions of faith from our culture. I am willing to read the Pullman trilogy if the novels are available from a library or similar source that incurs no additional revenue to the author, but even that represents a use of my limited resource of time that could be better applied to positively engaging in ministry that pleases Jesus.

While I thank those like Yvon Prehn who provide further factual insight into this particular controversy, my conclusion remains unchanged: I think that Christians will be better served to not attend the motion picture or purchase Pullman’s novels. I think that we will be better served to use our resources of money and time to support and/or engage in some ministry that pleases our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Oh, one bit of good news I did discover in all of this: A second Narnia film, Prince Caspian, is scheduled for release in 2008.

(Illustration: Aslan, the allegorical Christ figure from The Chronicles of Narnia series)

We Still Serve

I attended a Veteran’s Day ceremony today. I have done so pretty regularly for a few years now. As I looked around those gathered at the county courthouse, I saw people I recognize from past gatherings. About a half dozen World War II era veterans present were recognized.

I also saw some younger faces. Some gathered still serve on active reserve or active duty. A few have not been in very long. I began thinking to myself, “Why are young American men and women still entering military service? Almost any member of our Armed Forces can be mobilized to Afghanistan or Iraq these days. Military service is all voluntary; there is no draft. Why are these young people still entering military service?”

I listened to the speakers remind us of the origin of Veteran’s Day – formerly Armistice Day – and I listened to them speak of the sacrifices made in order preserve our liberties. I was reminded of the oath that every member of the United States Armed Forces takes to “…support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic…” In those moments, I reflected what those words have meant to me and countless others who have sworn this allegiance.

I did not swear to merely defend a piece of paper, no matter how historic this document is. It is the nation formed by that piece of paper. It is the power which that old document gives to all citizens of this nation to determine their government and, within boundaries of legal and moral obligations, to determine the course of their own lives. It is the belief that all Americans should enjoy the privilege of liberty and freedom. It is the unwavering truth that all of these principles of freedom are worth defending even to the very death. It is on this basis that all of the speakers talked about the honor of sacrifice that veterans have made. It is on this basis that young Americans continue to take up the mantle of sacrifice in order to preserve these vital liberties.

There are some today who scoff at this notion of honorable sacrifice. They make America and, hence, American servicemen and servicewomen out to be a conquering force bent on subjugating other less fortunate nations. Some are bent on spotlighting every mistake and failure made at every level of leadership during a war and making those out to be the defining nature of American military forces.

Why do young American men and women continue to serve? Because they know that suffering through the nonsense of those who denigrate their service and sacrifice, the mistakes and failures of our political leadership, and even the confusing sequences of orders issued by their senior military personnel is worth the real reason for supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. They know that in spite of every adversity thrown at them, that they want their parents and grandparents, brothers and sisters, wives and husbands, and sons and daughters to continue to live in the greatest, freest nation in the history of the world.

Thank you, each and every veteran who has served or is serving in defense of America!