I Smell A Rat

Documentary Questions Reality of George Washington's Faith

November 27th, 2007

A soon-to-be-released historical documentary — “I Smell a Rat – An anti-Federalist Interpretation of American History” — takes aim at a number of cherished beliefs about America’s founding. One of these is the alleged Christian faith of George Washington, a favorite of Evangelical Christians.

The film draws on the research of Professor Paul Boller, who conducted an exhaustive study of Washington’s own writings, public and private, together with statements by his contemporaries. The result was a book entitled, George Washington & Religion. The picture of Washington’s religious life that emerged from these primary sources is far different from the vast body of myth and legend built up by a succession of pietistic biographers. The latter popularized an encyclopedia of stories about Washington’s religiosity based on hearsay and scanty evidence that could never hold up in a court of law.

These include stories about Washington’s rigorous devotional life and his partiality for, and sharing of communion with virtually every denomination. One story has Washington drawing his pistol and firing at a subordinate officer who dared to interrupt his devotions. Everyone it seems wanted to portray Washington religiously in their own image and to do so read far more into Washington’s religious pronouncements than actually exists.

But the real picture emerges from interviews with people who knew Washington well, such as Dr. James Abercrombie, Washington’s pastor at Christ Church in Philadelphia during the eight years of his Presidency. Regarding Washington’s habit of walking out of church prior to administration of communion, Abercrombie reported:

That Washington was a professing Christian is evident from his regular attendance in our church; but, Sir, I cannot consider any man as a real Christian who uniformly disregards an ordinance so solemnly enjoined by the divine Author of our holy religion, and considered as a channel of divine grace.

But far more important than trying to analyze the faith of the founders, is a careful examination of what they actually gave us. That is the real message of the video.

Order before December 10 and save 15% off the $17.50 retail price — only $14.85 with free shipping. Comes with 125% money back guarantee. Features interviews with radio personality Larry Pratt and author Dr. George Grant.

A preview of the video may be viewed at http://www.ismellarat.com

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Constitution has ‘Wall of Separation’ Despite Evangelical Protests

November 17th, 2007

Most Evangelical historians go to great lengths to show that Thomas Jefferson’s “wall of separation” phrase does not appear in the United States Constitution. However, a new historical documentary claims that the concept is there nonetheless, tucked away in a little known provision of Article VI.

The documentary — “I Smell a Rat - An anti-Federalist Interpretation of American History” — points to the culprit in Article VI, Section 3: “No religious test shall ever be required for any office or public trust under these United States.”

As the narrative unfolds, we learn that a bon-a-fide Christian nation will be marked by three traits:

It will commit itself to the Bible as the highest law of the land,
It will pass laws against murder, theft, adultery and other crimes based specifically on the Bible, and
It will require government officers to swear on oath to uphold those laws.

The Constitution fails at all three points, in particular at point 3) where it forbids any religious test (belief) to be required of an officeholder. In addition, it draws its authority exclusively from the majority vote of “we the people” (not God) and declares its own man-made Constitution and laws (not the Bible) to be the supreme law of the land. Taken together these constitute a formidable wall of separation between God and State.

This is one of the reasons that Patrick Henry declared “I Smell A Rat”, when asked why he declined his invitation to the Constitutional Convention. Nonetheless, most Evangelical historians active today still pronounce the Constitution to be a Christian document. They marshal such weighty evidence as the date including the phrase “year of our Lord.”

Order before December 10 and save 15% off the $17.50 retail price — only $14.85 with free shipping. Comes with 125% money back guarantee. Features interviews with radio personality Larry Pratt and author Dr. George Grant.

A preview of the video may be viewed at http://www.ismellarat.com

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New Video Highlights Patrick Henry’s Take on the U.S. Constitution; “I Smell A Rat”

November 13th, 2007

Patrick Henry is usually lumped in with other founders like James Madison, but according to a new historical documentary, Henry never was reconciled to the Constitution. The video is, in fact, named after his famous rejection of the Constitution: “I Smell a Rat - An anti-Federalist Interpretation of American History.“

The documentary relates how there was no Christian consensus on the Constitution at the time of the ratification debates and Patrick Henry became the Constitution’s strongest critic. In fact, Henry had refused his invitation to the Constitutional Convention with the pithy remark, “I Smell A Rat”.

Virginia was a key state in the ratification debates. Had the Constitution failed in the Virginia Ratifying Convention – the home state of Madison, Jefferson, and Washington – it would have been dealt a mortal blow. It was a classic showdown between Federalist James Madison and Anti-Federalist Patrick Henry. Going into the convention, Federalists outnumbered Anti-Federalists by more than 2 to 1. When the dust finally settled 23 days later Henry fell just four votes short of blocking ratification.

Henry carried the debate almost single-handedly, one speech lasting a full 7 hours. He delivered as many as 3 speeches on each of several days in a powerful display of oratory. James Madison confessed that he could speak for an hour and Henry would undo everything he said by simply raising an eyebrow.

Henry opposed the Constitution on grounds that it was “a revolution more radical than that which separated us from Great Britain”. Specifically, he objected to making “We the People” the sovereign grantors of authority under the new government.

Available December 10, 2007, this video tells “the other side of the story,” rarely if ever reported by writers on “America’s Christian history.”

Order before December 10 and save 15% off the $17.50 retail price — only $14.85 with free shipping. Comes with 125% money back guarantee. Features interviews with radio personality Larry Pratt and author Dr. George Grant.

A preview of the video may be viewed at http://www.ismellarat.com

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James Madison Wanted a Secular Republic - he got it!

November 10th, 2007

James Madison wanted to create a secular republic and he got what he wanted according to a new historical documentary entitled “I Smell a Rat – An anti-Federalist Interpretation of American History.” Created by a team of Evangelicals, the video is slated for release on December 10, 2007.

As the story unfolds, Thomas Jefferson was reportedly upset by state requirements that officials commit to government under God. He referred to this as “religious slavery.”

James Madison and Thomas Jefferson were also upset with the establishment of the Anglican Church in Virginia, and rightly so. But, in their 1786 “Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom” Jefferson and Madison went beyond separating church and state to separating God and state. They first declared that, “our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions, any more than our opinions in physics or geometry….”

According to the documentary, they next very subtly forbade the requirement that the civil magistrate be required to swear allegiance to God and the Bible. In the same long sentence that disestablished the Anglican Church, the Bill declared “that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities.” Because law is always an expression of somebody’s belief system or religion, the new enactment meant that the Christian footing was removed and the government of Virginia was now based - by default - on atheism.

Having established this precedent in Virginia, James Madison, the Father of the Constitution, carried the same principle into the U.S. Constitution of 1787, just over a year later. Article VI, Section 3 reads: “No religious test shall ever be required for any office or public trust under these United States.”

This interpretation challenges the conclusions of many of today’s noted authors on “American Christian history.” Most of them find a strong biblical influence in the U.S. Constitution, in spite of the above evidence to the contrary.

Order before December 10 and save 15% off the $17.50 retail price — only $14.85 with free shipping. Comes with 125% money back guarantee. Features interviews with radio personality Larry Pratt and author Dr. George Grant.

A preview of the video may be viewed at http://www.ismellarat.com

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New Documentary Features Nation’s Oldest Political Action Committee

November 8th, 2007

The National Reform Association (the other NRA) may
not be a household word in America today, but it is the oldest, continuously
running socio-political group in the country. The singular mission of the NRA is
featured in a forthcoming documentary entitled, “I Smell a Rat: An anti-Federalist
Interpretation of American History.”

From its inception, the NRA has criticized the U.S.
Constitution for its neutrality toward Christ, the King of all nations. This echoed
the call of some early anti-Federalist’s, who rejected the proposed Constitution
for that very reason.

The National Reform Association, in its founding meeting
during the Civil War, declared that, “We regard the neglect of God and His law,
by omitting all acknowledgment of them in our Constitution, as the crowning original
sin of the nation and slavery as one of its natural outgrowths.” Convinced that
the Civil War constituted an act of Divine judgment for rejecting the authority
of Christ in the Constitution, they proposed that we renew our national covenant
with God by the following amendment to the Preamble:

“WE, THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, [recognizing
the being and attributes of Almighty God, the Divine Authority of the Holy
Scriptures, the law of God as the paramount rule, and Jesus, the Messiah, the
Savior and Lord of all,] in order to form a more perfect union…do ordain and
establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

The new video - to be released December 10, 2007 - asserts
that as people come to Christ and the spiritual tenor of America changes, additional
amendments will be necessary. These must declare the Word of God the supreme law
of the land and require an oath of our civil officers to govern in accordance with
its laws.

By contrast, most contemporary “Christian America” authors
find little to criticize in the Constitution. Typically they stress patriotic devotion
to the Constitution as it stands.

Order before December 10 and save 15% off the $17.50
retail price — only $14.85 with free shipping.
Comes with 125% money back guarantee.

A preview of the video may be viewed at
http://www.ismellarat.com

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New Documentary Charges Evangelicals with Historical Revisionism

November 5th, 2007

Historical revisionism could be a bigger problem among Evangelical Christians than among secular humanists, according to a soon-to-be-released historical documentary. Ironically, created by a team of Evangelicals, the production was given the provocative title, “I Smell a Rat: An anti-Federalist Interpretation of American History.”

What evidence does the film supply for this bold assertion? Some of the telltale marks of Christian revisionism include…

Relying heavily on secondary evidence such as after-the-fact religious quotes and self-congratulatory statements by the American founders and their Federalist cheerleaders.
Downplaying primary source documents, such as the “Federalist Papers” and “Notes from the Federal Convention,” which almost never refer to the Bible in their discussions of civil government. Then concluding that “the founders used the Bible as their great political textbook.”
Ignoring the strong Evangelical and anti-Federalist resistance to the U.S. Constitution, which existed at the time of ratification. Then “baptizing” the Constitution as the undisputed epitome of biblical civil government.

Thus, the video suggests that many contemporary “Christian America” authors are in reality promoting a form of Christian historical revisionism.

Order before December 10 and save 15% off the $17.50 retail price — only $14.85 with free shipping. Comes with 125% money back guarantee.

A preview of the video may be viewed at http://www.ismellarat.com

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New Documentary Challenges Christian Constitution Thesis

November 1st, 2007

ClassicalFree Press announces the PRE-RELEASE SALE of
its new documentary “I Smell a Rat: An anti-Federalist Interpretation
of American History”. The documentary is unique as an evangelical production
that challenges the Christian Constitution thesis held by many evangelical Christians.

This long-awaited documentary on the anti-Federalist/Bible
Covenant interpretation of United States history and Constitution is just over a
month from release. Produced by a team of noted Evangelicals, it seeks to demonstrate
that historical revisionism could be a more serious problem among some Christian
authors than among secularists.

Readers of most contemporary authors on American Christian
history are in for a shock. The video challenges almost everything they’ve been
taught about the meaning of American history. The documentary takes issue with the
“baptized Federalism” which is common to most of today’s “Christian America” authors.
Too often strong Christians have allowed their patriotism to cloud their biblical
discernment on this vital issue.

Approximately 35 minutes in run time, this DVD challenges
the prevailing opinion among Christians that the U.S. Constitution represents the
epitome of biblical civil government. It explores why Patrick Henry and other strong
Christians of the founding era opposed ratification of the Constitution so vigorously.
The legendary Patrick Henry argued almost single-handedly against ratification for
23 days in the Virginia Ratifying Convention. Many of his prophetic warnings have
transpired such as: an imperial Supreme Court; two levels of oppressive taxation;
a bloody civil war.

Today another anti-Federalist prediction is coming to
pass – Muslims in the U.S. Congress and maybe our next President. The film reports
why Patrick Henry rejected James Madison’s invitation to the Constitutional Convention
with the pithy retort, “I smelt a rat.” It answers the question,
what was the rat that Patrick Henry “smelt?”
Includes interviews with radio personality
Larry Pratt, Christian historian Dr. George Grant, and others.

Order before December 10^th and save 15% off the $17.50
retail price — only $14.85 with free shipping. Comes with 125% money back guarantee.

A preview of the video may be viewed at
http://www.ismellarat.com

Tags: I Smell A Rat Documentary, News Release, Press Release
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Discussion: The Source of Civil Law

October 24th, 2007

Which is most apt to lead to tyranny in a nation: 1) political pluralism, or 2) the implementation of Biblical law?

Is Old Testament law binding on modern civil governments?

What is the relationship of Natural Law to Biblical law?

Rules of Debate

There is only one rule: “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.”

Posted in Discussion Questions | 4 Comments »

Discussion: The Religious Test Oath

October 24th, 2007

What does Article VI of the U.S. Constitution really mean: No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States? Does it forbid an oath to enforce Biblical law or is it simply a prohibition against any of the colonial religious establishments becoming dominant at the national level?

Does a religious test oath for public office lead to tyranny or is it the only sure safeguard against tyranny?

Does the social contract differ from a national covenant with God?

Rules of Debate

There is only one rule: “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.”

Posted in Discussion Questions | 1 Comment »

Discussion: The Founders Worldview

October 24th, 2007

Were George Washington and the other founders of the United States of America operating from a Christian worldview?

Were the founders of the American Republic most heavily influenced by: Greco-Roman paganism, social compact theory, Christianity, the British Commonwealth men, economic determinism, or something else?

Rules of Debate

There is only one rule: “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.”

Posted in Discussion Questions | 2 Comments »

Documentary Questions Reality of George Washington's Faith

Constitution has ‘Wall of Separation’ Despite Evangelical Protests

New Video Highlights Patrick Henry’s Take on the U.S. Constitution; “I Smell A Rat”

James Madison Wanted a Secular Republic - he got it!

New Documentary Features Nation’s Oldest Political Action Committee

New Documentary Charges Evangelicals with Historical Revisionism

New Documentary Challenges Christian Constitution Thesis

Discussion: The Source of Civil Law

Discussion: The Religious Test Oath

Discussion: The Founders Worldview

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