Watchman on the Wall

Guest (Male): Welcome to Watchman on the Wall, a daily outreach of Southwest Radio Ministries and swrc.com. God is still on the throne and prayer changes things. Today, Doug Stauffer examines the faith principles and sacrifices that shaped America's founding and the challenges threatening those foundations today.

Every day, Southwest Radio Ministries is proclaiming biblical truth through radio, television, digital media, and outreach around the world, but we can't do it alone. That's why we're inviting you to become a faithful friend, a monthly supporter helping us share the gospel and equip believers to understand the times through the light of God's Word.

No gift is too small. Your faithful monthly partnership provides the steady support needed to keep these vital ministries moving forward. Become a faithful friend today. Visit swrc.com or call 1-800-652-1144. Together, we can make an eternal difference. Now, here is Watchman on the Wall host, Dr. Larry Spargimino.

Dr. Larry Spargimino: We are back with Dr. Douglas Stauffer, talking about his new book America 250. Thank you, Douglas, for being back on the show with us.

Dr. Douglas Stauffer: Well, I'm excited after yesterday's program. It's going to be hard, Larry, with your phenomenal questions and the ability to talk about America.

Dr. Larry Spargimino: Well, my parents, both my mother and father, were immigrants, and also my wife. Mom and dad and my wife were so happy when they became American citizens. It's just to see the joy and the delight of people who came from overseas to America. It was the greatest thing that happened.

They loved America, and they were so happy to officially become American citizens. They learned about America and what made America great. I think they would not have understood this flood of illegals who come in illegally and complain, "I want more pocket money." What did the founders think about protecting our freedoms and having America run by Americans? Is that an important part? Because I think today it’s one of the big issues we face.

Dr. Douglas Stauffer: It is. My family was an immigrant family. The Stauffers came over in the 1600s. I was able to trace my lineage back to the Revolutionary War, so I'm part of the Sons of the American Revolution, which is a prestigious organization. I'm now secretary; it just happened that way.

They voted me in as secretary, and we are growing by leaps and bounds because everybody is interested in tracing their heritage back. But when you came to America, your parents assimilated into the American way. They didn't just bring their own beliefs and all that, but they needed to pledge loyalty to the Constitution and to the United States of America, not try to come in and take it over and destroy it, which is what a lot of the illegal immigrants are here for, and that is to bring America down. I believe in immigration. I believe in it wholeheartedly. Just like you and your family, I go back to the 1600s, but what were we all? We were all immigrants coming to America.

Dr. Larry Spargimino: Douglas, we keep on speaking about the Constitution, and it's a wonderful document. But what made it unique, and what are the things you say about it in your book?

Dr. Douglas Stauffer: The Constitution was designed with the understanding that human nature is flawed. People must be restrained, and the founders divided authority among separate branches so no one person or group could dominate the government. They also believed the rights came from God rather than the state, which placed important limits on government power.

It was amazing what this Constitution did. The Constitution reflected both a practical wisdom and a deep understanding of human nature, and that's what makes it so unique.

Dr. Larry Spargimino: The statement you’ve just made, for example, "human nature is flawed," that's a basic item, depravity, the fall. When I think of these other countries and when I think of a few people or maybe even one person grabbing power and thinking, "Well, my will is going to be what you’re going to do, or else," if they only understood who they really are.

They are rotten sinners in the face of Almighty God, a holy God. They need to repent; they need to receive Jesus. When they do that, they might really be able to be good citizens because then they will realize they are not God. They need God's help; they need the Bible and the direction that the Bible provides us. I think the denial of human depravity by so many, even in America today, is problematic.

If you listen to a lot of people, they’ve got the last word. "We don't need any help from anyone; we're so smart." No, we know that, and I think history amply proves that. When you look at all the wars which are going on now, people grabbing power, people seeking to force their ideas, the Bible is so precious. I'm thinking of Romans chapter three and a couple of other passages that speak of human depravity. It's so central to being a good citizen and to having freedom and liberty.

Dr. Douglas Stauffer: What happens is that dictators, as soon as they gain power, come in and arrest those they perceive as opponents. The reason they do that is because they know that their control is limited to submission, and that isn't the way our government was founded. We were founded on the fact that human nature is flawed, and we don't have a king. We don't have dictators. We have separation of powers. So, it's crucial to understand that America is unique, and America will cease to exist if it ceases to be unique with our Constitution.

Dr. Larry Spargimino: Now that you're speaking about that, it brings us to the next question. How did preaching, pastoral preaching, faithful preaching, influence the American founding, and what about revivals? We've had some really important revivals that I think had a great effect and a great impact on our true American identity.

Dr. Douglas Stauffer: The great revivals, like the Great Awakenings, the first and second ones, really changed America. When those revivals came into a city, basically all the bars and everything shut down. People talk about revival today; show me your revival by the result of what happens in morality, and I will believe it's a true revival.

But when you look at the preaching and the influence on the American founding, the colonial pastors regularly preached on liberty, justice, repentance, and accountability before God. Their sermons helped shape public opinion and provided moral and biblical support for our struggle for independence. Many ministers believed that liberty was connected to obedience to God and resistance to tyranny. Long before political leaders publicly spoke about independence, pastors were preaching from the pulpits, preparing the colonies and preparing their consciences through preaching. That is what's behind the scenes in America that many people don't understand.

Dr. Larry Spargimino: Tell us about how the "Black Robed Regiment" fits into this picture.

Dr. Douglas Stauffer: That is so cool because they wore robes back then, and there's a picture where a preacher is taking his black robe off and underneath is a uniform. Then many of his congregants would follow him into battle. But back to the Black Robed Regiment: it was a British nickname for colonial pastors who boldly preached biblical principles of liberty and the resistance to tyranny. These ministers were regarded as influential voices behind the Revolution.

As these voices rang loud, they encouraged courageousness, moral responsibility, and dependence on God. The term "Black Robed Regiment" reflected how seriously British authorities viewed the colonial pulpits and how they influenced everything during the founding era.

Dr. Larry Spargimino: That's amazing that the British were afraid of the pulpit, and that's the way it should be even today. If we have a Christian nation with people looking to the Bible and God as the ultimate standard, that's such a radical change. It's so wonderful. I think the so-called Black Robed Regiment even had guns on their belts under their robes; they were ready to go.

Dr. Douglas Stauffer: Right, and they're not the only ones even today. There are packing pastors, and they ought to be. As long as they know how to shoot and they aren't going to be the ones hurting people. But when you look at the Black Robed Regiment, a British nickname for the pulpits is amazing. I love that.

I wish that we had that kind of respect today, but unfortunately, many of our pulpits are silent on the truth, and they don't proclaim the things that the founding pastors did. These were moral men that lifted high the standard of preaching about repentance, Christianity, belief in God, and trusting Christ. We need to get back to that today.

Dr. Larry Spargimino: My son-in-law, my daughter, and I were members of the USCCA, the United States Concealed Carry Association, which is a great organization, by the way. The training, how to shoot, and the proper conditions that have to apply. They also provide legal defense because in Oklahoma and every state, if you even if you're defending yourself, you're going to go to jail. That's just the way it acts. You've got a gun and a dead body.

But it's so wonderful that we have these freedoms. After we look at all the gun violence in churches, it's just absolutely shocking. People come into a church, everybody's unarmed, they kill a lot of people, and then they run off. That's a terrible thing.

In fact, I was reading the other day that last year there were something like 40,000 emergency 911 calls that were unanswered, and probably some of those were from churches who needed help because there was somebody killing people with a gun. That's America; we certainly love it. But Douglas, why does the book say the Declaration contains a "theology of dependence"?

Dr. Douglas Stauffer: The Declaration repeatedly appeals to God as the source of rights, justice, and providence. The founders did not present liberty as something invented by government or earned solely through human effort. Instead, they affirmed that dependence on divine authority and moral truth is where our rights come from. The document reflects a worldview in which freedom exists under God, not apart from Him, and that is crucial to understand.

Dr. Larry Spargimino: That idea that rights come from God. If it came from the government, the government could take it away whenever they wanted. But God gives us rights, and He doesn't change His mind. That's so important. All right, let's move on to chapter eight. What does chapter eight in your book teach about sacrifice, personal sacrifice, during the Revolution?

Dr. Douglas Stauffer: The Revolution exacted a tremendous sacrifice from soldiers, families, churches, and entire communities. Americans endured hunger, harsh winters, financial hardship, battlefield losses, and years of uncertainty. The founding generation understood that liberty came at a very high cost, and it required things like courage, endurance, and perseverance. Freedom was not achieved easily or quickly, and I think that's what America needs to understand today. We sit back and look at history as though we are guaranteed the future. The future is not guaranteed unless we get back to morality and righteousness.

Dr. Larry Spargimino: I think your book emphasizes remembering those sacrifices. I think people today are creatures of comfort; we don't value anything, even our faith, in many cases. Were we willing to sacrifice our lives, our fortune, or our homes to do what these early Americans did? That's why we were fearless. I mean, it's amazing. You read some of these stories and read your book, and the boldness is incredible. I think you're right; we need to remember those sacrifices.

Dr. Douglas Stauffer: We absolutely do. I believe that when people forget the sacrifices behind liberty, they take their freedom for granted. Remembering the founding generation's suffering and perseverance helps preserve gratitude and a sense of responsibility. This book that I wrote reminds readers that freedom survives only when later generations value what earlier generations fought to preserve.

I spent the weekend at Pensacola. I was there Thursday and Friday, and then Saturday we had bad weather, so we called off our 250th parade. But we were there celebrating how the Spanish helped defeat the British. It was called Galvez Day, and this man came in and brought the Spanish in order to cut off the supply lines, and then the Battle of Yorktown and the surrender there happened shortly thereafter as a result of what Galvez did in Pensacola. Most people don't even know who he is, and I didn't know who he was until we started looking at it. So, it is an important thing to remember our history and to realize that those sacrifices were real.

Dr. Larry Spargimino: Friends, our guest is Dr. Douglas Stauffer. His book America at 250 is our special offer. Our toll-free number is 1-800-652-1144. Friends, I want to ask you a question. What do you know about America? Do you think America is a wonderful place? Do you believe in American exceptionalism? Can you answer questions from your kids about America?

In fact, if they are in public school, they have probably heard their teachers and principal bad-mouhing Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, and the US Constitution. It's like some kind of a disease that goes in public school. So, this is the book for you, America at 250: A Republic If You Can Keep It.

Call 1-800-652-1144. It’s a really important book for every American and for those who want to know more about America. Especially America today and this time of the year, when we're approaching that time, our country's 250th anniversary. This is really a great book.

It's so wonderful that we have people like you, and there are, of course, others at Southwest Radio Ministry where we speak about America, the real America. It's a blessing. I'm thinking of how in America today, guns get blamed for just about everything, especially guns at school.

But where I live in Oklahoma, and probably Florida and Alabama and so forth, in the fall, just about every senior had a shotgun or a 30-30 Model 94 in the truck in the school parking lot. And yet, we did not hear about school shootings. Guns have not changed, but I think our society has really changed. That's the problem. The problem is morality and virtue. Where is it? We don't have it. We think, "Well, we're going to just outlaw guns and we won't have any more problems." Well, if guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. I'm sure you've lived in places like Alabama and so forth where at one time nobody thought anything about a shotgun in the back of a truck.

Dr. Douglas Stauffer: No, they did not. I did live in Alabama, and they have open carry. I live in Florida; we now have open carry. You don't see a lot of people carrying openly. It just gives the option. When you go to New York City, the chances of somebody that is a law-abiding citizen carrying a gun is very low. They’re easy to rob, easy to maim, and easy to kill, which is why I like Florida. We have Stand Your Ground, also.

You have a right to protect yourself in these states, whereas in other states, I remember in New York where there was a shooting with a guy that was not authorized to be carrying a gun according to the government, and they arrested him and persecuted him for years and years. What a shame. That's not the way it's supposed to be. You don't get five, six, seven, eight people to come up and try to hurt you and then you have a weapon that you're not supposed to be carrying and then you get arrested. Terrible, terrible.

Dr. Larry Spargimino: Justice is upside down. But that leads me to our next question, a very important one. Why did the founders place such importance on education? I think I know your answer, but you do it in a very eloquent way, so cut loose.

Dr. Douglas Stauffer: The founders believed that liberty could not survive among an ignorant people. Imagine the dumbing down of America today and you see what they're trying to do. Education was meant to teach not only reading and knowledge, but it was meant to teach morality, history, and civic responsibility.

Men like Noah Webster, there was the Webster's 1828 dictionary which was the first that uses scripture to define the words. Men like him believed that future generations needed biblical and moral instruction if the Republic was to endure. Education was viewed as essential to preserving self-government, and that's where we've gotten lost today because education is used to indoctrinate the masses. That's terrible.

Dr. Larry Spargimino: Why does the book emphasize teaching the next generation?

Dr. Douglas Stauffer: Every generation must intentionally pass down the principles that sustain liberty. If history, moral truth, and the nation's foundations are forgotten, the present generation and future generations will struggle to preserve the Republic. This book that I wrote emphasized that freedom endures only when parents, churches, schools, and even communities deliberately teach the ideas and sacrifices that shaped America's founding.

Dr. Larry Spargimino: That gets to the next question. Why does your book connect repentance to national survival?

Dr. Douglas Stauffer: What I do in the book is I show throughout that biblical and world history in those teachings, nations that humble themselves and turn from wrongdoing often experienced renewal and mercy. The founders themselves frequently proclaimed days of prayer, days of fasting, and days of repentance during times of difficulty and even during times of blessing. I argue that national problems are not merely political or economic; they're moral and they are spiritual.

Dr. Larry Spargimino: When you look at dysfunctional families today, we have so many of them, and I say, "Wow, if those people read the Bible." The Bible has a lot about salvation, very important, John 3:16 and so forth. But so many of the social issues that we're facing that cost us billions and billions of dollars, and still we don't solve the problem, those are moral issues and the answer is in the Bible if you’d read it and believe it.

You won't read it and believe it unless you have Jesus in your heart. You must be born again and so on. But here's a good question: tell us about the warnings of chapter 10. What does chapter 10 give in terms of warnings to America?

Dr. Douglas Stauffer: As I recall, that particular chapter warns that blessings should never breed pride or complacency. Nations that ignore moral decline or reject correction or abandon righteousness eventually weaken themselves from within. You can see it in America today. What I do in the book, and especially in that chapter, is I call Americans to be honest, honestly self-examine themselves, because liberty cannot long survive without moral accountability. That's what I'm trying to influence this generation in.

Dr. Larry Spargimino: Why is thanksgiving important to the American story and to our survival?

Dr. Douglas Stauffer: I could go into a lot of scriptures; it says your prayers with thanksgiving. But the founding generation often stopped, and they paused to acknowledge God's provision amid the war, hardships, and uncertainty. National days of thanksgiving reminded Americans that their blessings were gifts to be acknowledged rather than achievements to boast of.

Gratitude fostered humility, unity, and dependence on God throughout the nation's early history, and we've got to get back to that. We have been told to kick God out of government, kick God out of the public schools, which is why we shouldn't have schools controlled by the government because they have a tendency to digress away from the principles that made America great. So, we've got to get back to those days of thanksgiving nationally, too.

Dr. Larry Spargimino: Your final chapter says our ultimate hope cannot rest in America alone. I agree with that 100 percent, but just explain that.

Dr. Douglas Stauffer: My book emphasizes that while America is worth preserving and defending, no earthly nation can replace an ultimate hope in God. Nations rise and they fall throughout history; America has remained for 250 years. Yet eternal truths remain unchanged. The founders themselves believed that liberty depended on moral and spiritual realities greater than politics alone. We focus on politics, and the Bible focuses on God. I'm trying to get people in my book to focus on God and not politics alone.

Dr. Larry Spargimino: We only have about two minutes, but what final challenge does the book leave with the reader?

Dr. Douglas Stauffer: The final challenge I would leave with readers is to preserve liberty while remembering that political systems alone cannot save a nation. Lasting renewal requires moral courage, spiritual responsibility, and lastly, personal accountability. The book closes by reminding readers that freedom must be continually protected, it must be continually renewed, and it must be continually grounded in these enduring truths or we're going to lose it, and I don't want to lose it.

Dr. Larry Spargimino: Well, thank you, Dr. Douglas Stauffer. America at 250: A Republic If You Can Keep It. This is a book for a time such as this. So, friends, I encourage you, pick up your phone, call 1-800-652-1144 and ask for America at 250.

Guest (Male): As America approaches her 250th birthday, one question echoes across the century: can we keep the Republic we've been given? In America at 250: A Republic If You Can Keep It, Doug Stauffer takes readers back to the founding years of our nation, exploring the faith, courage, and biblical principles that shaped America's birth.

Discover why the founders chose a constitutional republic, how liberty depends on virtue, why free speech and accountable government matter, and what happens when a nation forgets God. Part history, part warning, and part call to action, this timely book reminds us that America's future depends on remembering the truths that made her free. Order your copy of America at 250. Call 1-800-652-1144 or visit swrc.com. America at 250 by Doug Stauffer.

Tomorrow on Watchman on the Wall, can an entire nation be brainwashed? History says yes. Join us as historian and best-selling author Bill Federer reveals how governments, movements, and ideologies throughout history have used psychological warfare, propaganda, fear, and repetition to shape public opinion and control populations.

Drawing from history and scripture, he'll examine the methods used to influence cultures and why understanding them is more important than ever. Don't miss this eye-opening discussion: "How to Brainwash a Nation," tomorrow on Watchman on the Wall. Watchman on the Wall is a production of Southwest Radio Ministries and is supported by faithful friends like you. To learn more, visit swrc.com.