All posts by Dr. Charlie Self

Hour of Decision for the USA, Part Four: A Grassroots Awakening

May 16th, 2015 | Dr. Charlie Self

The future of the American Experiment in liberty rests on a virtuous citizenry, affirmation of human dignity and a moral economy that adds value to the world. There is one more foundation needed for freedom to flourish: spiritual awakening.

In the 1740s Great Britain and the American colonies experienced a “Great and General Awakening” with up to one-eighth of the colonial population experiencing conversion/renewal. People from every Christian tradition and even a few free thinkers were deeply affected by the efforts of the leaders such as Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield and the new Methodist movementled by John and Charles Wesley.

The religious experiences of the various meetings and movements were not confined to personal ecstasies.Transformation of the soul fostered social impact. Awareness of the holiness and love of God were joined with concerns for orphans and widows, the marginalized and poor. The Methodists insisted that proof of conversion meant making the world a better place and serving people personally, not just through anonymous donations.

The Great Awakening also stimulated a sense of North American identity – at least the awareness that this land was freer and held great potential compared to the Old World. Out of these revivals came numerous colleges/universities of great repute – including Dartmouth and Princeton, to name just two. People that rejected the religious enthusiasm still felt the impact of an emerging culture that would combine freedom of conscience with social concern – America’s unique blend of Christian and Enlightened thought.

Leaders such as Charles Carroll (the one Roman Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence) felt the long-term impact of the awakened conscience of a New World as he worked tirelessly for economic, political and religious liberty rooted in reverence for the Almighty and personal virtue. Ben Franklin, no fan of religious extremes, found his pockets emptied for orphanages as George Whitefield spoke. He also called for prayer at the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

American history is full of religious renewal and testimonies of changed lives though the Gospel. The revivals of the 1740s were followed by a variety of similar movements between the 1790s and 1830s that converted thousands and ushered in new initiatives in global missions and sociopolitical transformation.

Division over slavery and race relations, economic and social stratification has marred religious awakenings since the1830s. American “rugged individualism” joined with the competitive spirit of Social Darwinism created dislocations in the late 19^th and early 20^th century we still feel today.

We need a new “great and general awakening” that will not only nurture individual souls, but also bring transformation to churches and communities, private and public life.

I believe the next awakening will not be the work of a few charismatic leaders or any one denomination or tradition. The next awakening will be millions of “brushfires” as households, Bible study and prayer groups, and churches large and small catch a vision for what it means to fear the Lord and faithfully serve the world.

Responsible and virtuous people affirming the dignity of each person and a moral economy opening opportunities for all vocations to flourish are built on this final foundation of spiritual vitality grounded in deep reverence for our loving and holy Lord. Ecstasy must unite with ethics and private intimacy must demonstrate itself in public integrity. I am not speaking of the coercive imposition of religion, but the overflow of lives changed by Christ.

Restoring Christian influence in the public square will require humility, integrity and prayer – and a willingness to risk rejection for obedience to the truth (not obnoxiousness in manner!).

America still has a future, if we will humbly beseech the Almighty for mercy, aim to add value to the world by our work each day and joyfully accept the risks and rewards of standing for truth.

Are we hopeful enough to pray for such an awakening?

Dear Candidates: An Open Letter to Democrats and Republicans Aspiring for the Presidency in 2016

May 11th, 2015 | Dr. Charlie Self

The recent announcements that Senator Hillary Clinton, Senators Rand Paul, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, along with Governor Scott Walker are all running for President in 2016 are the context for this special letter. Even though their particular positions vary widely – especially between Clinton and the rest, I address these thoughts to all of them as a concerned American and one who cares for the world. I welcome civil debate as we gear up for months of campaigning – with our nation’s future in the balance.

This letter is written in the manner of Socrates – a series of questions that imply particular concerns and positions, but compel clarity on the issues.

Dear Candidate(s),

Thank you for having the courage to run for this office. Others might cynically say that you are all supreme egoists for thinking you can do the job. Time will tell the proportions of altruism and ego, principle and pragmatism in your ideas and policies. The job of President of the USA is the most powerful and stressful job in the world. In 1839 Alexis de Tocqueville declared that the best persons do not run for President because of the compromises involved in getting elected! I hope such is not the case with any of you.

Here are my questions:

What is your vision of a healthy, prosperous nation? What key ideals are guiding your policy proposals? How can you inspire hope and sacrifice among a cynical and disengaged electorate suspicious of all politicians?
What is your sense of America’s uniqueness and her humble and wise partnerships with other nations?
What is your understanding of the “separation of powers” in the US Constitution and your interpretation of Amendments 9 and 10 that limit the federal government and place ultimate sovereignty in the hands of the people of our nation? What are your boundaries on Executive Orders? How will you be accountable to Congress? Recent history in both parties makes this a vital issue for our future.
Will you stand for Israel’s right to exist as a recognized Jewish State and freedom of conscience and religion around the world? Put another way, will you challenge Islamic states to open their societies and treat women and minorities with dignity?
Will you be completely pro-life and defend unborn children, the aged and the physically and mentally challenged?
How will you reform Social Security and Medicare so that they are protected for the needy and administrated justly?
Will you begin a new conversation on medical care and articulate what facets should be local, state and federal and what should be in the hands of the people? How will you assure compassionate delivery of quality medical services without an impersonal Leviathan of government bureaucracy?
How will you move us toward a balanced federal budget, a just tax system and reduction in the size of the federal government?
What is the government’s role in the economy and how will your policies helps millions find sustainable work?
How will you help our nation welcome millions of legal immigrants that desire hope and opportunity while screening for terrorist and welfare cheats?
How will you restore America’s global leadership role? How can we help lead the world away form the hegemonic agendas of China and Russia, as well as the threats of a nuclear Iran and her terrorist clients?
How will you position the USA at the United Nations? Are you comfortable with UN control over any territory in the USA and global courts attempting to trump our national ones?
What current federal structures will you decentralize or eliminate? How large a role should Washington, D.C. have in public education, the administration of welfare and food distribution and provision for other needs?
What is your transparent communications strategy? Will your Administration be open (apart from critical personnel or national security issues) or as opaque as the last 80 months? Can we find out about the influences in your upbringing and the educators and mentors that have shaped you into the woman or man you are today?
Will you stand for marriage as the union of one man and one woman, while allowing for other arrangements that afford partners legal recognition?

Candidates, I sincerely pray that you will humbly depend upon the Almighty, listen to all the people (not just the big donors) and articulate your values and vision well. Please help us reverse a half-century of moral decline, forty years of political polarization and a generation of economic mismanagement and deception.

A nation is listening.

Hour of Decision for the USA: Will the Experiment Continue? Part Three: The Moral Economy

April 16th, 2015 | Dr. Charlie Self

In this special series, we are focusing on foundational principles essential for sustaining the American Experiment in virtue-based liberty. Part One articulated the essential moral principles necessary for flourishing. Part Two offered a clarion call for human dignity, cherishing life from conception to coronation and championing care for all persons, especially the vulnerable.

In 1992, Bill Clinton ran for President with the famous tag line, “It’s the economy, stupid.” He recognized that most people spend most of their waking hours working. America’s future depends upon a robust economy with opportunities for all.

Economics is a moral science. Until the 20^th century it was a subset of moral philosophy in most schools. Then the “scientific” and “technological” folks took over and separated markets from morality, trade from truth. Today we are left with polarized positions, with some advocating unrestrained free trade and others desiring even more federal control, taxes and programs.

For any economy to run well – local or global – there must be certain moral and practical principles in place. Our world is a beautiful one with opportunities for all to flourish and resources for value and wealth creation. We do not have too many people on the planet. Our economic woes are not for lack of resources. We struggle because of unjust people and systems; in other words, breakdowns in the moral economy.

Economies are moral and social systems of exchange. Here are some of the ingredients necessary for a flourishing economy:

Personal responsibility and virtue that leads to mutual trust
An entrepreneurial ethos
Fidelity to verbal and written covenants and contracts
Personal property opportunities and rights protected by law
Access to markets
The rule of law and a legal system marked by integrity
Focus on value creation, not just profit

When all or most of these principles are in place, there is greater prosperity. The perversions of these are found in Marxist-influenced systems of central control or the related crony capitalism where the powerful and wealthy control markets and stifle creativity and competition.

The USA is at a socioeconomic tipping point, with a lower percentage of adults working to sustain a higher percentage not working. A flourishing future demands that this ration change as quickly as possible. Tax and welfare policies, regulatory agencies and local and state governments must partner with business and community leaders to re-empower entrepreneurship, offer incentives for welfare recipients to work and develop public/private partnerships to repair and rebuild the infrastructure needed for that 21^st century global/local economy.

It is time for solutions, not soundbites, for accountability and wise management of public resources. Balanced federal, state and local budgets will help. Fair tax policies, ending favors to elites and pathways from welfare to work will forge a preferred future.

The economy is a moral system. Let’s put “moral” back into “economics” and watch our nation and world enjoy unprecedented prosperity.

Hour of Decision for the USA: Will the Experiment Continue? Part Two: The Dignity of Every Person

March 26th, 2015 | Dr. Charlie Self

Pro-Choice. Pro-Life. “A woman’s right to choose.” “Protecting unborn human beings.”

The debate over abortion speaks of a foundational issue concerning the future of the USA: the dignity of each human life. Underneath this issue is another one: is human life a gift from God or Nature or simply a given that the stronger can dispose of at will?

For over four decades, the debates about abortion have raged, with pro-choice advocates defending the woman’s right to choose and their pro-life adversaries advocating the protection of innocent unborn children. Pro-choice adherents focus on the economic, psychological and social harm to the mother. Pro-life camps argue for the protection of unborn children as fully human from conception.

I am pro-life, with some (still tragic) allowances for victims of rape and incest (though with support these survivors may choose adoption or rearing). There is not any way to define the unborn as anything but a human being in formation. And when sexual intimacy in voluntary, the “choice” has already been made.

Throughout history, the Judeo-Christian ethos has protected the broken and vulnerable, in the midst of societies indifferent to suffering. From the Greco-Roman practice of exposing (disposing) of unwanted infants to ending widow burning in India, courageous women and men have defended human dignity. Care for the physically and mentally challenged is another sign of civilized society. Every person matters, whether they are “normal” or not.

For the USA, the hour of decision is here: will we welcome every human being as a gift from conception to coronation? Will we place ethical limits on genetic research and champion two-parent, monogamous households nurturing the next generation as the ideal? In a nation with 10 major family systems and numerous others vying for acceptance, the answer to this question will determine our future.

If we welcome the unborn, protect the vulnerable, respect the aged and revere the mystery of life’s beginning and end, we establish the foundation for all social norms and thoughtful legislation. If we redefine the unborn as disposable and the terminally ill as burdensome, human dignity is displaced by scientism and autocratic notions of productivity overtake compassion – and we are the poorer for this.

Let’s welcome every life as a gift and recapture our God-given rights.

Hour of Decision for the USA: Will the Experiment Continue? Part One: The “One Thing”

March 5th, 2015 | Dr. Charlie Self

We have unsustainable National Debt accumulating by the nanosecond.

There is gender confusion with ten family systems operating in our nation.

Anarchy reigns concerning citizenship and voting.

Porous borders.

Academic, media and political elites despise “flyover country” with its folks “clinging to their guns and religion.”

Reliable allies are disdained and “outreach” to terrorists yields displacement for millions and martyrdom for thousands.

Islamist neighborhoods grow in the midst of urban blight and suburban apathy in the USA.

Conservative Jews and devout Christians are open season for scurrilous attacks while even feminists rarely confront radical Islam.

What is America’s future? Will her two-and-a-half centuries of self-correcting representative government continue? Will the freedoms of conscience/religion, assembly, redress and speech continue or will current prosecution of dissent devolve into chilling restraints of investigative journalism and open access to information? Will citizenship cease having meaning?

This is the first of several posts articulating the values, vision and particular personal and public actions needed for the American Experiment to continue and thrive.

The USA is at a historical tipping point. Then next decade will determine whether or not this unprecedented experiment in human liberty – founded on first principles affirmed by most people of conscience – self-corrects to descends into anarchy and totalitarianism. Amidst all the (necessary) debates on debt, foreign policy and immigration, there is one crucial factor that if ignored, will be the undoing of a great (if quite imperfect) nation.

One Thing

All of America’s institutions, liberties and prosperity are grounded in a virtuous citizenry. A Republic with democratic principles requires enormous amounts of personal responsibility and implied consent on what constitutes the common good. Until the past half-century, most Americans – people of all faiths or none – held tacit agreement on the precepts needed for ordered liberty. These God-given or Natural Rights are the foundations for ethical expectations, reasonable legislation and enforcement of the rule of law. The “one thing” was not a particular religious affiliation or ethnic heritage. It was implied agreement on the timeless ideals that inspire the discipline, hopefulness and sacrifice ensuring opportunity for the next generation.

A First Step

The road to renewal begins asking the most important question: What are the principles for sustained flourishing? From this one questions comes one more: On what basis do we affirm these principles? Are they merely subject to elite agitation-propaganda or momentary majorities?

The answer lies in distinguishing timeless truths from timely opinions. Our Founders and Framers believed that God Almighty was the Source of human rights and responsibilities. Human failure was not a reason to reject standards that engender humility and service. It is time again for open public discussion of the cornerstones of a free and virtuous society. In between theocratic control and secular totalitarianism lies the golden mean of freedom rooted in a moral consensus.

It is time for a civil, lively and open discussion for the sake of future generations.