The Real Revolution 

     President John Adams argued that the "real American revolution" had already occurred before a single shot was fired. He wrote: "The Revolution was in the Minds and Hearts of the People. A change in their Religious Sentiments of their Duties and Obligations."  

Tony Perkins, Family Research Council

     Adams: "This produced in 1760 and 1761 An Awakening and a Revival of American Principles and Feelings. In 1775 it burst out in open Violence, Hostility and Fury. Adams mentioned seven patriots who took the lead, two of whom were pastors in Boston. One of them explained what the Bible has to say about government, and how we are to respond, be it (government) good or bad."

     "The influence of patriot pastors cannot be overstated. The basic form of regular public communication for many colonists was a Bible-based sermon. Historian Harry Stout says, 'A New England sermon...was so powerful in shaping cultural values, and a sense of corporate purpose that even television pales by comparison.' When the British cracked down on Boston in 1774...patriot pastors took to their pulpits, painting the conflict in Biblical terms, portraying King George III as Pharaoh and the American colonies as the Israelites."

     "Adams wrote to his wife, 'The clergy of every denomination... thunder and lightning every Sabbath...' General Percy declared, 'No body of men are so injurious to peace and tranquility as the clergy." 

     Perkins: "Through their preaching, patriot pastors helped bring about what Adams described, a change in religious sentiments. When war came, the same Biblical conviction fueled the courage to stand against tyranny. These pastors not only made the case for independence; they also strengthened the peoples' resolve to secure it."  

     "If we are to preserve our liberty 250 years later, we need that kind of Revolution again. We must return to the same source of the founders' courage and confidence: the Word of God." 

  Friday: the unstoppable work