The following is excerpted from the Deseret News. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
Were the Founding Fathers heroes, or as some claim, villains? Ted Stewart, a federal judge, put this question in its proper light:
“Today, it is common to criticize the founders of America. Judging them by today’s standards of equality and justice they do fail. Some owned slaves, none fought to give women equal rights. Most were wealthy white men. …
“But there is just one problem with judging them by today’s standards and it is this: but for those imperfect founders and the sacrifices that they made and the instruments of government which they created, there would be no current, enlightened standards of equality and justice by which to judge them.”
Judge Stewart is so right. The reason the critics can freely criticize, protest, vote for change, run for office and exercise freedom of religion or irreligion as they choose is for one reason and one reason only, because the Founding Fathers made it so. America is the greatest democracy the world has ever known. Do the critics believe these liberties came about by chance or that they were spawned by evil men? If so, how do they reconcile such a position with the unerring logic of the Savior: “Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16).
It seems somewhat hypocritical to partake of and enjoy the fruits of liberty while at the same time criticizing the very tree that produced such fruit.
To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
Jim ThorleyJuly 17, 2020
I have recently read a new (to me ) word, presentism: judging the past by present understanding. An extreme example: Why did the pioneers have to suffer coming across the plains. Why didn't they just hop on a 737 and land at the SLC Airport? Ridiculous? Yes, but no more ridiculous than some of the statements about historical people and events I hear on today's TV News.