Eric Metaxas took a bold step in his joint speech with Dr. Ben Carson at the
CPAC gathering in Washington last weekend. He talked about the current push to legalize same-sex marriage and to silence people who disagree. He mentions that our very freedom of religion is at stake, because the present culture of silence is keeping people from talking about it.
Here is a link to a blog post by Gina Dalfonzo on the same event, found at our BreakPoint Blog:
Eric Metaxas on same-sex marriage and religious freedom.
We also
link here to the entire 54-minute presentation, which includes introductions, Metaxas, Carson main speeches and the discussion by both at the end of the hour. In this link, you can hear Eric's speech starting about 6:20 into the clip.
We have also attached a text transcript of his speech below.
00:00:11 WHAT A PLEASURE TO BE BACK AT CPAC.
00:00:13 THIS IS THE THIRD TIME I HAVE SPOKEN AS CPAC THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE CROWN HAS BEEN ALL AROUND ME.
00:00:20 THIS IS REALLY IMPRESSIVE.
00:00:23 THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
00:00:24 I KNOW THAT I AM HERE TODAY BECAUSE A YEAR AGO I WAS THE SPEAKER AT THE NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST.
00:00:30 IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THAT SPEECH, PLEASE GO TO MY WEBSITE AND WATCH IT.
00:00:41 IF YOU GO BY NOON, YOU WILL GET A FREE WHACK -- WACKO BIRT T- SHIRT.
00:00:53 -- BIRD T-SHIRT.
00:00:57 I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE YOU IN LIP-SYNCHING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM.
00:01:05 [LAUGHTER] THAT IS A SUPER BOWL JOKE.
00:01:08 I GUESS I PROBABLY NEED TO GET SERIOUS FOR A MOMENT.
00:01:16 WAS AN HOUR DURATION JOKE.
00:01:17 I GET THEM ALL CONFUSED?
00:01:19 -- WHAT IS AND INAUGURATION JOKES?
00:01:24 I GET THEM ALL CONFUSED. THEY HAVE TO BEEN MUCH IN COMMON.
00:01:27 TO BE SERIOUS, I WROTE A BIOGRAPHY OD BO -- OF BONHOFER.
00:01:39 BECAUSE OF HIM, I FIND MYSELF THINKING ABOUT RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN AMERICA.
00:01:45 MANY PEOPLE SAY THEY SEE DISTURBING PARALLELS BETWEEN WHAT IS HAPPENING IN GERMANY IN THE 1930'S AND AMERICA TODAY.
00:01:52 I AM SORRY TO AGREE.
00:01:54 THAT ME BEGIN WITH MY HOME TOWN OF DANBURY, CONNECTICUT.
00:02:01 SOME OF YOU KNOW -- LET ME BEGIN WITH MY HOMETOWN OF DAN BURY, CONNECTICUT.
00:02:12 JEFF RUSS AND USES THE PHRASE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.
00:02:18 -- JEFFERSON USES THE PHRASE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.
00:02:24 JEFFERSON AND THE FOUNDERS BOUGHT PRECISELY THE OPPOSITE.
00:02:27 THEY KNEW THAT THE STATES, CAPITAL S, WAS ALWAYS TEMPTED TO TAKE OVER EVERYTHING, INCLUDING THE RELIGIOUS PART OF PEOPLE'S LIVES.
00:02:41 THEY MADE SURE THAT GOVERNMENT COULD NOT PROHIBIT THE FREE EXERCISE OF RELIGION.
00:02:47 [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
00:02:49 YOU ARE CHEERING FOR THE FOUNDERS.
00:02:54 NOT FOR ME. THEY WANTED CHURCHES AND RELIGIOUS TO BE PROTECTED FROM THE GOVERNMENT.
00:02:58 THEY KNEW THAT WHAT PEOPLE BELIEVED WAS AT THE HEART OF THIS RADICAL AND FRAGILE EXPERIMENT THAT THEY HAD JUST LAUNCHED INTO THE WORLD.
00:03:10 WHERE ARE THE THREATS TO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM TODAY?
00:03:15 WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT FREEDOM OF WORSHIP.
00:03:16 IN A SPEECH A FEW MONTHS AGO, HILLARY CLINTON REPLACED THE PHRASE FREEDOM OF RELIGION WITH FREEDOM OF WORSHIP.
00:03:25 THESE ARE RADICALLY DIFFERENT THINGS.
00:03:28 THEY HAVE FREEDOM OF WORSHIP IN CHINA.
00:03:31 WHAT IS FREEDOM OF WORSHIP?
00:03:34 IN MY BOOKS, I TALK ABOUT A MEETING WITH A MAN WHO WAS ONE OF THOSE FOOLED BY HITLER.
00:03:43 HE SAID SOMETHING TO HITLER ABOUT HOW HE CARED ABOUT GERMANY AND THE THIRD REICH AND HILLER CUT HIM OFF AND SAID, I BUILT THE THIRD REICH -- HITLER CUT HIM OFF AND SAID, I BUILT THE THIRD REICH.
00:03:59 YOU WORRY ABOUT YOUR SERMONS.
00:04:02 FREEDOM OF WORSHIP SAYS, YOU CAN SAY WHAT YOU LIKE IN YOUR LITTLE RELIGIOUS BUILDING FOR AN HOUR 2 ON SUNDAYS.
00:04:10 ONCE YOU LEAVE THAT BUILDING, YOU WILL ABOUT TO THE ORTHODOXY OF THE STATE.
00:04:18 WE WILL TELL YOU WHAT TO SINK ABOUT WHEN LIFE BEGINS AND WHAT MARRIAGE IS.
00:04:25 IF YOU DO NOT LIKE IT, TOUGH LUCK.
00:04:28 THEY HAVE THAT IN CHINA AND HAD THAT IN GERMANY.
00:04:32 THE FOUNDING FATHERS SAID THE OPPOSITE.
00:04:35 FACE INSIDE THAT CHURCH BUILDING MUST LIVE ON AND FLORES OUTSIDE THE CHURCH BUILDING FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK.
00:04:47 IN FACT, THE FOUNDERS BELIEVED THAT THE SUCCESS OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE -- EXPERIMENT DEPENDS ON PRECISELY THAT.
00:04:59 A MAN IS INNOCENT AND IMPORTANT BOOK REMINDS US -- A MAN OF THE SEINE AND IMPORT AND BOOK REMINDS US THAT FREEDOM OF RELIGION WAS AT THE HEART OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE.
00:05:09 THE BOOK TALKS ABOUT THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE OF FREEDOM.
00:05:13 I BET YOU NEVER HEARD ABOUT THAT IN SCHOOL OR COLLEGE.
00:05:16 AMERICANS HAVE MISSED THIS FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES GIVEN TO US BY THE FOUNDERS.
00:05:22 THE FOUNDERS KNEW THAT FREEDOM AND SELF-GOVERNMENT WERE NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT VIRTUE.
00:05:28 WITHOUT VIRTUE, WE WOULD VOTE TO LINE OF OUR OWN POCKETS AND ELECT LEADERS WHO WOULD LINE OUR POCKETS.
00:05:36 THEY BELIEVED FREEDOM REQUIRED VIRTUE AND VIRTUE REQUIRED FAITH.
00:05:41 FREEDOM REQUIRES SAFE.
00:05:43 IT WAS FAITH THAT MOTIVATED CITIZENS TOWARD VIRTUE.
00:05:50 FAITH REQUIRES FREE THEM.
00:05:52 IT IS THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE.
00:05:53 THE CHINA OF FALLS APART IF YOU TAKE AWAY THOSE THREE THINGS.
00:05:57 THEY SAID -- THE TRAIN GO FALLS APART IF YOU TAKE AWAY ONE OF THOSE THREE THINGS.
00:06:13 COLSON SAW SOME SERIOUS THREATS TO FREEDOM ON THE HORIZON.
00:06:17 IN 2009 HE DRAFTED SOMETHING CALLED THE MAN HADN'T DECLARATION.
00:06:21 PLEASE READ IT AND SIGN IT AND TELL THE -- CALLED THE MANHATTAN DECLARATION.
00:06:29 PLEASE READ IT AND SIGN IT AND TELL EVERYONE ABOUT IT.
00:06:32 THERE IS THE HHS MANDATE.
00:06:36 IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH CONTRACEPTIVES.
00:06:39 IT HAS JUST ABOUT NOTHING TO DO WITH CONTRACEPTIVES AND EVERYTHING TO DO WITH RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.
00:06:45 IT IS THE ISSUE OF THE GOVERNMENT SAYING TO A RELIGIOUS GROUP, WHATEVER YOU THINK ABOUT THESE ISSUES MEANS NOTHING.
00:06:52 WE WILL FORCE YOU TO VIOLATE YOUR CONSCIENCE AND YOUR RELIGION.
00:07:00 WHY? BECAUSE WE CAN.
00:07:01 WE HAVE THE POWER AND YOU CATHOLICS ARE A THAT COURTS RELIGIOUS MINORITY.
00:07:06 JOSEPH STALIN WAS ASKED HOW MANY DIVISIONS DOES THE POPE HAVE?
00:07:12 IT IS AN UGLY MOMENT IN AMERICAN HISTORY WHEN THE CURRENT POLITICAL ADMINISTRATION IS TAKING A PAGE OF THE BOOK OF JOSEPH STALIN.
00:07:22 WHEN THE GOVERNMENT BELIZE A MINORITY INSTEAD OF PROTECTING THAT MINORITY, THAT IS THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF AMERICA.
00:07:29 WE PROTECT AMERICANS -- MINORITIES HERE.
00:07:34 AS A CATHOLIC WHO DOES NOT SHARE THAT THINKING ON CONTRACEPTIVE PROTECT THOSE WHO HAVE THOSE VIEWS.
00:07:42 THAT IS WHAT MAKES US AMERICA.
00:07:47 [APPLAUSE] IN AMERICA, WE PROTECT MINORITIES AND WE PROTECT RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FOR ALL, FOR EVERY RELIGION FOR EVERY AGNOSTICS -- AGNOSTIC OR ATHEISTS.
00:07:59 ONCE WE STOP DOING THAT, WE ARE NO LONGER AMERICAN.
00:08:03 THE SECOND ISSUE OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IS TO ATTEMPT TO LITERALLY REDEFINED MARRIAGE.
00:08:10 THIS ISSUE IS ABOUT RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.
00:08:14 HERE IS MY QUESTION TO ALL OF THE LEGAL SCHOLARS ACROSS AMERICA.
00:08:18 WHAT ABOUT THE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM OF THOSE WHO DISSENT ON THAT ISSUE?
00:08:25 WHEN THE LEGAL DEFINITION IS CHANGED WILL THEY BE FORCED TO STIFLE THEIR RELIGIOUS FEELINGS BECAUSE THE STATE DEMANDS IT?
00:08:32 THIS IS NOT A LIVE AND LET LIVE ISSUE.
00:08:35 IF MARRIAGE IS LEGALLY REDEFINED, IT WILL CRIPPLE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN AMERICA AND IT IS ALREADY BEGINNING TO DO THAT.
00:08:44 NO ONE IS EVEN TALKING ABOUT THIS.
00:08:50 BEFORE WE MAKE THIS INCREDIBLY MOMENTOUS DECISION ABOUT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN OUR LIVES, HOW ABOUT IF WE HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS.
00:09:00 HOW ABOUT WE TALK ABOUT RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, WHICH IT IS THE HEART OF THIS.
00:09:05 NOT ONE OF THE CABLE NETWORKS EVER DISCUSSES THE SENATE IS ABOUT TIME WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION.
00:09:10 WHAT WE ARE SEEING ON BOTH OF THESE ISSUES IS THE UNCONSTITUTIONAL ESTABLISHMENT OF A RELIGION.
00:09:19 IT IS A SECULAR RELIGION AND A SECULAR ORTHODOXY.
00:09:23 ON THE SUBJECT OF MARRIAGE, THERE IS TO BE NO DISCUSSION.
00:09:27 IS SCIENCE IS SETTLED.
00:09:29 IT IS THE FUTURE.
00:09:30 SOME IN THE GOP ARE JUMPING ON THAT BANDWAGON.
00:09:34 WHENEVER SOMEONE TELLS YOU THE SCIENCE IS SETTLED AND THE DEBATE IS OVER, THAT IS A SURE SIGN THAT THE DEBATE IS NOT OVER, BUT THAT THEY ARE AFRAID THE DEBATE MIGHT BEGIN.
00:09:52 [APPLAUSE] THEY WANT TO TELL YOU IT IS SETTLED AND LET'S HURRY UP AND MAKE THIS DECISION AND GET ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY.
00:10:01 GOD DETERMINES WHO IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY.
00:10:04 NOT THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA AND NOT THE GOVERNMENT.
00:10:10 [APPLAUSE] MOST OF YOU ARE HERE SEEN THE GROWING STATES AND GOBBLING UP MORE OF THE FREE MARKET AND FREEDOM AND SELF.
00:10:19 IF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IS THREATENED, IT IS JUST THE SAME.
00:10:24 THESE OF THE TWIN ENGINES THAT HAVE MADE THIS THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD.
00:10:28 FINALLY, LET ME SAY THAT WHEN THE GOVERNMENT KILLS FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND FAITH IS PUSHED OUT OF THE PUBLIC SQUARE, NOT JUST BAD THINGS HAPPEN.
00:10:37 MANY GOOD THINGS DO NOT HAPPEN.
00:10:39 IN MY BOOK, I TELL THE STORY OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A MAN TRACKS RELIGION INTO THE PUBLIC SQUARE AND LET IT AFFECT HOW THE GOVERNMENT BEHAVES.
00:10:49 DO YOU THINK THE AFRICAN SLAVES WERE GLAD WILL FORCE ALLOWED RELIGION TO AFFECT HIS POLITICS?
00:11:00 [APPLAUSE] IN THOSE DAYS, THE SETTLED SCIENCE WAS THAT SLAVERY WAS JUST THE WAY IT WAS AND TO DISCUSS ABOLISHING THEM WAS INSANE.
00:11:08 ABOUT CHRISTIANS BELIEVE EVERY HUMAN BEING IS IN THE IMAGE OF GOD.
00:11:17 CHRISTIANS LED THE CONSPIRACY AGAINST HITLER.
00:11:20 HE SETTLES SCIENCE WAS THAT THE THIRD REICH WAS THE FUTURE.
00:11:23 DISSENTING VOICES WERE SILENCED.
00:11:31 BONHOFER WAS MURDERED BY THE NAZIS, BUT HE SPEAKS TO US TODAY.
00:11:36 HE WAS US NOT TO LET OURSELVES BE SILENCED.
00:11:39 HE CALLED ON THE CHURCH TO STAND UP AND LEAVE THE CHURCH.
00:11:42 HE ASKED THE AMERICAN TOURISTS TO STAND UP SO THAT THE WHOLE COUNTRY COULD BE BLESSED, NOT JUST -- HAVE ASKED THE AMERICAN CHURCH TO STAND UP SO THAT THE WHOLE COUNTRY COULD BE BLESSED, NOT JUST THE CHURCH.
00:11:56 WHEN HAS THE STATE INTO THE AMERICAN SQUARE IN THIS COUNTRY?
00:12:00 IT WAS FANATICAL CHRISTIAN IS THAT STARTED THE ABOLITIONIST MOVEMENT IN THIS COUNTRY.
00:12:06 WHAT STEVEN SPIELBERG'S MOVING AMISTAD.
00:12:11 CHRISTIANS LED THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN THIS COUNTRY.
00:12:15 IT WAS A CHURCH BASED, FAITH BASED MOVEMENT FROM BEGINNING TO END.
00:12:21 ROSA PARKS WAS A DEVOUT CHRISTIAN.
00:12:22 SHE WAS CHOSEN TO KICK OFF THE BUS BOYCOTT BECAUSE OF HER FAITH.
00:12:27 JACKIE ROBINSON WAS A DEVOUT CHRISTIAN.
00:12:31 BRANCH RICKEY TELLS HIM TO BREAK THE COLOR LINE IN BASEBALL BECAUSE OF HIS RELIGIOUS FAITH.
00:12:38 HE BELIEVES GOD WANTED HIM TO DO IT.
00:12:42 THERE IS A MOVIE COMING OUT ABOUT JACKIE ROBINSON.
00:12:46 I MENTION IT IN MY NEXT BOOK BECAUSE EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW IT WAS JACKIE ROBINSON'S FAITH THAT STOOD BEHIND WHAT HE DID.
00:12:57 [APPLAUSE] IF YOU PUSH THE VOICES OF FAITH OUT OF THE MAINSTREAM AND REPLACE THEM WITH A SECULAR ORTHODOXY, YOU TAKE AWAY THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT CHECK THE FOUNDERS PUT IN PLACE AGAINST UNBRIDLED SATISM.
00:13:14 -- STATISM.
00:13:16 WE HAVE HAD SO MUCH OF THE STATE IN THIS COUNTRY, WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT IS.
00:13:25 THAT MEANS THE ONE VOICE WARNING MY FELLOW AMERICANS.
00:13:29 UNLESS WE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY SOON COME IT WILL BE TOO LATE AND WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
00:13:36 PLEASE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY.
00:13:38 PLEASE READ THE BOOKS, A FREE PEOPLE'S SUICIDE.
00:13:43 PLEASE FIGHT FOR OUR COUNTRY.
00:13:45 THIS IS ABOUT AMERICA.
00:13:47 GOD BLESS YOU AND GOD BLESS AMERICA.
00:14:06 [APPLAUSE] (music) >> THANK YOU.
00:14:14 [CHEERS AND
