Disrupting the Narrative of the New Left, its allies in Academia, Hollywood and the Establishment Media, and examining with honesty the goals of cultural Marxism and the dangers of reactionary and abusive political correctness.
THE NARRATIVE AND POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
“Threats to freedom of speech, writing and action, though often trivial in isolation, are cumulative in their effect and, unless checked, lead to a general disrespect for the rights of the citizen.”-George Orwell
Is there a day of greater expectation for Christians than
Christmas Eve? Holy Saturday, perhaps, should be; but while the
Resurrection of Christ is a more remarkable act even than the
Incarnation of God as Man, the simple fact that the former depends on
the latter - God must become Man before He can die and rise again - has
ensured that Christmas captures our imagination more fully than Easter.
It is not just visions of sugar plums and glorious roast beast that set
our hearts afire on this day; it is the recognition - perhaps less
conscious than more so - that, in the words of one of my favorite
Christmas carols,
Long lay the world in sin and error pining, 'Til He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
Even
as Christians, we may have reduced the Nativity of Our Lord in
practical terms to a holiday of family and friends, of home and hearth
and happiness. Yet our souls know more than our minds acknowledge, and
on this night of nights they cry out, "Come, Lord Jesus!" That is the
cry, too, of the Apostles and Fathers of the Church, of saints and
sinners down through the ages...
It is the cry of humanity broken
by sin, of men and women who too often rebel against the realization
that we cannot repair our lives, much less the world, on our own, yet
who recognize, deep within their souls, the scars that only Christ can
heal. Our pride threatens to stifle that cry, and perhaps for 364 days
of the year, it succeeds in doing so. We act as if our salvation lies in
our hands, as if we can heal ourselves through our own works.
Yet
on this day, and even more so this night, our souls may speak more
loudly, if we will let them. They may cry to the Lord Who will greet us
in the morning from His humble manger; they may admit that we need the
Child Who is also the Man Who died for our sins - not just the sins of
Adam and Eve, and the sins of our fellow man, but our sins, that we have
committed yesterday and today, and which we will commit tomorrow.
And
our souls may allow us, this night, to set aside our spiritual and
intellectual pride, and to hear the truth of the prophets, who likened
those souls to an arid desert, which no man can make bloom but God can
make fruitful.
To receive the gift of God, the gift that He gives
us starting this night, requires setting our pride aside and
acknowledging that we are broken, that we are barren, that on our own we
can only bring death rather than life.
This night, of all
nights, our hearts seem ready to hear these words, to admit the longing
in our souls for something that we cannot gain for ourselves, but can
only accept as a gift. Or rather, the longing for Someone, the only
begotten Son of the Father Who wants nothing more than for all of His
children to receive the ultimate gift in the spirit in which He gives
it: freely, without reservations.
Tomorrow, He comes: the greatest gift of all. Tonight, we watch, we wait, we hope...
The 4th of July is America's birthday. That's a big deal. This brief ceremony will help you bring meaning back into this holiday. It's easy and fun. Celebrate liberty!
We Americans need a ritual to remind ourselves of our national origins and our national purpose. That is why Prager University has created the Fourth of July Declaration Ceremony, which draws its inspiration from one of the most enduring rituals in the world: the Jewish Passover Seder. ("Seder" means "order" in Hebrew).
For thousands of years, the Passover Seder has helped Jews around the world remember that they are descendants of an enslaved people who were liberated by the mighty hand of God. The Founders of the United States (including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and others) were all well-versed in the Bible and knew the story of the Israelite's exodus from Egypt. They viewed their break from England as a new exodus; so much so that Franklin and Jefferson wanted the seal of the newly-formed United States to depict the Israelites escaping across the Red Sea.
Even though that design was not chosen, the original historical inspiration still remains. Like the Passover seder, the Fourth of July Declaration Ceremony can be a powerful ritual that helps us transmit our love for this country to our children and grandchildren.
In keeping with our philosophy at Prager University that profound concepts can be taught in five minutes or less, we have kept the Declaration Ceremony brief. In our experience, adults find it meaningful and children find it fascinating.
If you follow our simple guide, the Fourth of July will be more than just another barbecue of fireworks display. It will become the kind of day it was meant to be: a celebration of the birth of our exceptional country, and a way of showing gratitude for the gift of liberty that has been bestowed upon us all.
You can always add more to your 4th of July Declaration, but we give you the basics here.
Doing a little will mean a lot - to you, to your family and friends, and to the nation.
