After reading Volume 2, the biggest takeaway for me was that America is founded on the principles of religion and education.
“The Americans show, by their practice, that they feel the high necessity of imparting morality to democratic communities by means of religion”.
And
“I do not know whether all the Americans have a sincere faith in their religion, for who can search the human heart? But I am certain that they hold it to be indispensable to the maintenance of republican institutions.”
Yet according to Paul Johnson’s A History of the American People, we have allowed this foundation to disappear. The “authority of the state, and notably the courts-and especially the Supreme Court-did everything in their power to reduce the role of religion in the affairs of the state, and particularly in the education of the young…” In many cases, there is hostility to religion and morals, just as there is hostility by some towards those who see the education system as a harmful place to send their children.
Democracy in America, published a long time ago, may be challenging to read, but I believe it can show us the way to reestablish a culture of freedom as we focus on building families and communities that adopt a different perspective on religion and education. If we can look at the moral laws that Christianity teaches and bring them back into the home and community, it could change everything.
The family is the foundation of a community; if we start fixing the family, we will fix the community around us. Learning to build a family culture will take work and energy; that is true, but starting to educate ourselves in the great classics will help speed the process along. In Volume 2 of Democracy in America, the author compares the European way (aristocracy) and the American way (democracy) of doing things. Looking at each side and picking the best of both worlds will build incredibly strong families and communities. Reading books that share the family culture will give us much to discuss and practice. If we don’t focus on building a family culture that promotes freedom and education, we will find ourselves more and more enslaved to the culture around us that tells us that we need leaders to direct us. That we need to go back to an aristocracy, or worse, a tyranny.
“The Americans show, by their practice, that they feel the high necessity of imparting morality to democratic communities by means of religion”.
And
“I do not know whether all the Americans have a sincere faith in their religion, for who can search the human heart? But I am certain that they hold it to be indispensable to the maintenance of republican institutions.”
Yet according to Paul Johnson’s A History of the American People, we have allowed this foundation to disappear. The “authority of the state, and notably the courts-and especially the Supreme Court-did everything in their power to reduce the role of religion in the affairs of the state, and particularly in the education of the young…” In many cases, there is hostility to religion and morals, just as there is hostility by some towards those who see the education system as a harmful place to send their children.
Democracy in America, published a long time ago, may be challenging to read, but I believe it can show us the way to reestablish a culture of freedom as we focus on building families and communities that adopt a different perspective on religion and education. If we can look at the moral laws that Christianity teaches and bring them back into the home and community, it could change everything.
The family is the foundation of a community; if we start fixing the family, we will fix the community around us. Learning to build a family culture will take work and energy; that is true, but starting to educate ourselves in the great classics will help speed the process along. In Volume 2 of Democracy in America, the author compares the European way (aristocracy) and the American way (democracy) of doing things. Looking at each side and picking the best of both worlds will build incredibly strong families and communities. Reading books that share the family culture will give us much to discuss and practice. If we don’t focus on building a family culture that promotes freedom and education, we will find ourselves more and more enslaved to the culture around us that tells us that we need leaders to direct us. That we need to go back to an aristocracy, or worse, a tyranny.
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