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The Constitution is the founding document of our government, yet many people don’t know or understand it. It’s important for us to educate ourselves and our children about constitutional principles to contribute to the type of government our founding fathers intended. Mike Winther delves into the understanding and teaching of the Constitution in this lecture summary, which is based on his 10-hour Constitution class.
Mike discusses why the Constitution is under siege, facing challenges from politicians who don’t want to obey it, citizens who disagree with its contents, and people who are ignorant of its meaning. He then explains the significance of understanding the Constitutional foundation. Mike explores the idea of God being the source of our rights and the interpretation of these rights through scripture. He also examines topics such as majority rule and the origins of government authority.
You’ll Learn:
- [01:06] Constitution week is in September. Now teachers who misunderstand the Constitution are going to share this information with their students.
- [02:01] Many Americans in general don’t know what the constitution actually says. Many also don’t actually understand what it means. Americans have also drifted so far away from the Constitution, that if we really understood it we would hate it.
- [03:13] We have a nation with millions of people in some form or another getting government subsidies which are actually unconstitutional.
- [06:30] The first foundation that underlies the Constitution is the source of rights.
- [06:50] The source of anything determines the use of that thing.
- [07:26] We need to know the source of our rights and who regulates those rights.
- [08:08] Is the source of our rights government?
- [12:52] We are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights. Our rights come from God.
- [13:59] We also have to analyze where government authority comes from.
- [15:43] Weighing people’s rights with a more than 50% probability of guilt.
- [17:29] The job of the people is to pick our leaders but not to determine government authority.
- [18:09] The proper authority for civil government is outlined in the scriptures.
- [19:40] Mike talks about the biblical roles of civil government such as adjudicating disputes, protecting life, liberty and property, and protecting from foreign invasion.
- [20:41] The nature of government. The government isn’t supposed to protect us from ourselves.
- [23:47] Similar to fire, good government that is contained is a wonderful thing.
- [25:39] The nature of man. We can’t really trust human beings.
- [27:27] The concept of enumerated powers. The few powers of the government are actually listed.
- [29:43] Mike talks about the Federalist and the Anti-Federalist.
- [34:56] The idea of a republic. The founding fathers’ also created a mixed form of government with an executive branch, a legislative branch, and a judicial branch.
- [36:58] Sovereignty of the states. The states were not created by the federal government. The states gave authority to the federal government.
- [41:06] States need to decide the constitutionality, because they are the source of the Constitution.
- [43:02] Executive orders aren’t in the Constitution.
- [47:06] Enumerated powers need to be enacted fairly for the entire country.