Loading summary
Transcript121 lines
- [00:00]
America 250 Announcer
This is an iHeart podcast guaranteed human
- [00:04]
this July 4th, come celebrate at America's Block Party hosted by America 250. America's Block Party is a can't miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
- [00:14]
Experience music, performances by major artists, patriotic tributes and the kickoff to giving 4th, helping to make July 4th the largest day of giving in American history.
- [00:24]
It's more than just fireworks.
- [00:26]
Join this landmark celebration and get your America's Block Party Tickets now for $17.76cent@america250.org
- [00:34]
Parent
LA with my mom and dad living in Orange county, when we bring my five and seven year old to visit, we are sometimes in for a two hour drive that could feel like ten.
- [00:43]
Oh, as an avid camper, I know all about this. We'll pack up the RV and know this is either going to be the trip of a lifetime or a complete disaster.
- [00:51]
Which is why we load up the iPads with Lingokids before we even pull out of the driveway.
- [00:56]
It's what dreams are made of. LingoKids keeps kids engaged and quiet with over 4000 interactive games, songs and shows that kids simply cannot get enough of.
- [01:05]
You can pack whatever you think you'll need, but Lingokids is the only entertainment you'll need for a stress free car ride.
- [01:11]
Or really any ride, plane, train, hovercraft, whatever.
- [01:15]
Download lingokids for free today or unlock
- [01:18]
even more amazing content with LingoKids.
- [01:21]
Plus, choose the yearly plan and save up to 60%. Search LingoKids in the App Store or Google Play.
- [01:27]
LingoKids. Everything kids love, they track.
- [01:31]
StartPage Advertiser
They target. That hotel, those shoes, your searches, your clicks. Every time you come back, prices can change. When websites know you want something, look again and all of a sudden it costs more and they saw you coming. Startpage, the private search engine, helps keep what you look up online from becoming a price tag. Nothing saved, nothing to use against you. What you search for is your business. Try StartPage, the private search engine@startpage.com that's startpage.com
- [02:01]
Firestone Advertiser
your vehicle doesn't just get you from here to there. It's a bridge to the people and places that matter most. It's how you show up for your family, your community and everyone else that depends on you. That's why for 125 years, Firestone has been building tires with one thing in to deliver products that are as reliable as you are. Firestone always dependable since 1900.
- [02:34]
Newt Gingrich
Welcome to Newts World podcast on the iHeart podcast network. The Greatest American Inventions Today the airplane or more precisely, 12 seconds over a North Carolina beach. That changed what it meant to be human. At 10:35 in the morning on December 17, 1903, Orville Wright lay face down on the lower wing of a biplane on a windswept stretch of sand near Kitty Hawk, N.C. and he flew 120ft in 12 seconds. In those 12 seconds, humanity's long, earthbound existence ended. Controlled, sustained, powered flight, the ability to go where you wanted, not where the one took you, had never been achieved until that morning. Three more flights followed that day. The longest by Wilbur, covered 852ft in 59 seconds. Then the wind tumbled the machine across the sand and damaged it. Beyond flying. The brothers sent a telegram to their father. And success? Four flights Thursday morning. The press largely didn't care. The New York Times did not cover the story. Orville and Wilbur Wright were bicycle mechanics. Neither attended college. They funded their aeronautical experiments entirely from bicycle shop profits. And they beat every well funded rival. Samuel Langley, Secretary of the Smithsonian, had $50,000 from the war Department for his flying machine. He failed twice, spectacularly, in the weeks before the Wright brothers succeeded. What set Orville and Wilbur apart was method. They built a wind tunnel in their shop, tested over 200 wing shapes, generating aerodynamic data more accurate than anything previously existing. They solved the problem of control, the key challenge every other designer had failed to crack. With a system they called wing warping that let the pilot bank into turns. They designed their own engine and their own propellers, treating propellers not as boat screws adapted for air, but as rotating wings. Every component was the product of their own systematic research. No government contract, no university laboratory, no team of engineers, just two brothers and a relentless commitment to getting it right. The speed of what followed is staggering. By World War I, just 11 years after Kitty Hawk aircraft were flying reconnaissance and combat missions. In 1927, Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic solo. Commercial aviation exploded after World War II. Today, more than 4 billion passengers fly annually. A journey that took months by ship now takes hours by plane. I want to dwell on what the Wright brothers represent. They were not supposed to win. The experts had failed. The scientific consensus in 1903 was essentially that heavier than air powered flight was probably impossible in the near term and certainly wouldn't be achieved by bicycle mechanics from Ohio. But the Wright brothers didn't consult the consensus. They studied the problem from first principles. They built experiments, they analyzed data, they iterated. They failed repeatedly and learned from each other. And they succeeded. The American tradition of invention has always had room for the outsider willing to do the work. Next time we talk about the invention that makes every other inventionist as possible the electrical power. Coming up, Eric Metaxas will be joining me and we're going to discuss America 250 and his new book, the Birth of the Greatest Nation in the History of the world.
- [06:55]
America 250 Announcer
This July 4th, come celebrate at America's Block Party. Hosted by America 250. America's Block Party is a can't miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
- [07:05]
Experience music, performances by major artists, patriotic tributes and the kickoff to giving 4th, helping to make July 4th the largest day of giving in American history.
- [07:15]
It's more than just fireworks.
- [07:17]
Join this landmark celebration and get your America's Block Party Tickets now for $17.76 at america250.org LA with my mom and
- [07:27]
Parent
dad living in Orange county, when we bring my five and seven year old to visit, we are sometimes in for a two hour drive that could feel like 10.
- [07:34]
Oh, as an avid camper, I know all about this. We'll pack up the RV and know this is either going to be the trip of a lifetime. A complete disaster.
- [07:42]
Which is why we load up the iPads with Lingokids before we even pull out of the driveway.
- [07:47]
It's what dreams are made of. Lingokids keeps kids engaged and quiet with over 4000 interactive games, songs and shows that kids simply cannot get enough of.
- [07:56]
You can pack whatever you think you'll need, but Lingokids is the only entertainment you'll need for a stress free car ride.
- [08:02]
Or really any ride, plane, train, hovercraft, whatever.
- [08:07]
Download Lingokids for free today or unlock
- [08:09]
even more amazing content with LingoKids.
- [08:12]
Plus choose the yearly plan and save up to 60%. Search LingoKids in the App Store or
- [08:17]
Google Play Lingokids everything kids love.
- [08:21]
Joybox Advertiser
I'm not great with words after a fight, and I'm sorry wasn't cutting it this time. So I used Joybox to write a soulful ballad about how she's always right. By the second chorus, the silent treatment was officially over. Visit joybox.com or and get out of the doghouse today.
- [08:37]
Cindy Crawford
Hi, I'm Cindy Crawford and I'm the founder of Meaningful Beauty. Well, I don't know about you, but like, I never liked being told, oh wow, you look so good for your age. Like, why even bother saying that? Why don't you just say you look great at any age, Every age. That's what Meaningful Beauty is all about. We create products that make you feel confident in your skin at the age you are now. Meaningful beauty, beautiful skin at every age. Learn more@meaningfulbeauty.com.
- [09:17]
Newt Gingrich
I am really pleased to welcome my guest, Eric Metaxas. He is the best selling author of Bonhoeffer Distinguished President's Fellow at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. And he was appointed to serve on President Trump's Commission on Religious Liberty. And he's here to discuss his new book, the Birth of the Greatest Nation in the history of the World. Eric, welcome and thank you for joining me on Newt's World.
- [09:45]
Eric Metaxas
It's my privilege. I've admired you for longer than I care to say. 3.5 decades at least. So thanks for everything that you have done to make it possible for folks like me to live in this free country. God bless you.
- [09:59]
Newt Gingrich
Well, thank you. And I have to say, your background is fascinating. You've written about figures like Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther. You've looked at the moral turning points of history, which I think makes you a very unique person to approach thinking about the founding of the country. But what made you decide for you that now was the right time to tell the story of America's founding?
- [10:23]
Eric Metaxas
Well, I'll tell you, this sounds crazy, maybe not to your audience, but, you know, I feel like I've been led by God in everything that I do, right? So this is not about me having some marketing idea or whatever. And I never, ever thought of writing a book on the American Revolution. Two years ago, this gets weird. But God spoke to a friend of mine, a very dear friend whom I respect deeply, and told him to tell me to write a book on the revolution. Now, I've never said that publicly. It sounds insane. He didn't tell me. God told him this. He just said to me, hey, Eric, I just read your book Seven Men. I read the chapter on George Washington. I was very moved. And I think you should tell the whole story of the American Revolution. And this is the kind of a guy who, he's such a genius and such a dear friend that I actually thought about that. And I thought, a book on the American Revolution, that's kind of crazy. Like, how big would that be? And I've literally never thought of such a thing. But as I began to think about it, and then, you know, you do your market research, is there a book out there that is a definitive telling of the whole story of the American Revolution that is readable, that you could just hand to somebody and say, read this. You know, there's nothing recent, really, and especially not in one volume. And so I decided, kind of crazy Okay, I guess, Yeah, I think I will do this. And I have to tell you, as usual, because this happens to me with every book. And I say this. This is no false humility. This is true. I don't know what I'm getting into. I don't have a story to tell. I just have an idea that I want to tell the story. The revolution. All of these stories need to be known. I know that much, that every American needs to know our history. It's not extra credit. This is not for history buffs. Every single American needs to know all these names and all these stories, and we used to know them and we don't anymore, and shame on us. That's why we have gone to the edge of the abyss, practically, and we're losing our liberty. So we really need to know this. And so I said, I just want to tell the story. But everybody asked me the same question, what's your angle? And I said, I have no angle. I'm not writing a Christian book. I'm writing an American history book, telling the story. It is what it is. And in the course of doing the research, I was absolutely astonished at the Christian roots, at the Christian nature of everywhere you look. I was shocked, actually, because we've all been sold this French Enlightenment nonsense narrative, this secularist. They were all deists. Utter baloney. Washington was as much a deist as you are, or I am, or the Pope is, or Martin Luther was. It is just preposterous. And when you do the research, you just think this is a story of good and evil. And frankly, the reason the book is titled Revolution and not the American Revolution is even though I wanted to be definitive, I thought, there has only been one successful revolution. This is the only successful revolution in history where we talk about, we're going to give the people their liberties and they're going to govern themselves. We know you know the French Revolution was a joke. They talked that language. But they kicked God out. After they kill the monarch, king and queen, they kill all the priests and nuns. When you kick God out, you lose all your moral foundations and it turns into a bloodbath and you replace your king with a dictator emperor named Napoleon. How good did that go in the French Revolution? And so that's the story. The Bolshevik Revolution, the Chinese Communist revolution, all these revolutions. They use the name revolution, but they're failed revolutions. They do precisely the opposite of what they claim. Only our revolution, because the founders looked to God explicitly, did it succeed? If you look to God and you're under him, you can Govern yourself. Otherwise, good luck. And so I have to say, most of that was news to me, at least. I had no inkling of the depth of it and the breadth of it. Everywhere you look in the story of the founding of the revolution, you see people looking to God. I had not heard that in grade school. You're not going to hear it on pbs, but you might hear it on this podcast with Newt Gingrich.
- [14:23]
Newt Gingrich
It's historic nonsense to suggest that these folks were not deeply driven, but it's interesting to me. You could have called the book the American Revolution, but you simply called it Revolution. I think that's a fascinating decision to sort of then take on the notion that all these others are kind of false revolutions.
- [14:42]
Eric Metaxas
Absolutely. And that was very deliberate on my part. I thought to myself, it's preposterous that we would even compare the American Revolution to the French Revolution. Utterly failed. What are you celebrating? Utter failure in bloodbath and anarchy, Murdering priests and nuns. It went wrong almost immediately. They were not looking to God and our revolution. And I say this again, I didn't know this. They were explicitly going back to the Sinai Covenant, when the Israelites, after miraculously escaping Egypt and Pharaoh, they look directly to God. They make a covenant with God that if we obey God, if we are righteous, God will bless us and we can govern ourselves. That hadn't been done since Sinai, 3,000 years before 1777. And Samuel Adams makes it explicit in his speech on August 1, 1776, a speech to Congress, the day before they signed the Declaration. He says, we have this day restored the sovereign capital S. So we've declared independence from the earthly monarch, from the earthly king, and we have declared dependence on God. Of course, at the heart of all this is religious liberty. Nobody's being forced to be Christian, but that's at the heart of how we achieve liberty. Every one of them understood it. That was a speech to Congress, not to the Bible study group. Every American needs to understand this is our history. It's inescapable and we need to know it.
- [16:03]
Newt Gingrich
It's very telling how much the Founding Fathers saw themselves as being fundamentally at a turning point in history. This was not just a rebellion against a corrupt British king. This was an assertion. God's role in the world. We are endowed by our Creator, and it's an assertion that they are therefore standing up for your rights as defined by God, which was truly a revolutionary concept.
- [16:34]
Eric Metaxas
You cannot overstate it. Thomas Paine, in Common Sense, effectively says the same thing before. He kind of goes a little Bit off, obviously, in his later years. But he sees this is a new epoch in the history of man. This is not just a little bump or an interesting turn. This is a new epoch we are breaking through into a new epoch in the history of humanity where people can govern themselves by looking to God. He says, not since the days of Noah have we been able to. We can make the world new again. Now, apart from God. That is utopianist lunatic verbiage. Because, you know, the Bolsheviks used language like that, and the French Revolution used language like that, and people use language like that, and it leads to chaos and bloodbath. And this is the one time in the world because they looked to God, it did not lead to anything negative. It led to a new way of governing ourselves. You know, it wasn't just a new nation. It was a new type of nation. And of course, you know this better than I do. A new type of nation in the history of the world. And frankly, there's never been anything like it. Even in the 250 years, there's no close second. We've got some in western Europe for a while. Some of them have been doing okay. I pray that in England right now they would have their own revolution. And some folks, including John Ashe Adams, sort of prophesied this, that maybe we here on this continent could lead them over there to adopt what we are doing. And I think 250 years later, that's possible. And I do hope that because things are so wicked over there and they drifted so far from any idea of liberty or God, that the people are rising up and reasserting themselves. That would be extraordinary, you know, if we could take this revolution across the Atlantic in the other direction, that would be a glorious moment in history.
- [18:22]
Newt Gingrich
What was it in their worldview or their conversation? I mean, to be at the edge of western civilization, in a relatively thin group of settlements right along the Atlantic, the west. And Washington's generation was about halfway across Virginia. These were not people at that point who were in a position to be thinking about the world. And yet somehow they acquire a universalist worldview. How do you think that happened?
- [18:52]
Eric Metaxas
The first short answer is, this is God. God was speaking through them. In fact, there's a chapter early on in my book John Adams. And again, he's sort of the hero of my book. I mean, of course, Washington is the ultimate hero, But John Adams deserves to be a thousand times more famous than Thomas Jefferson. In 1765, he writes an extraordinary essay. It's published in four parts in the Boston Gazette under a Preposterous pseudonym, Humphrey Plowjogger. So it's kind of forgotten. But in this essay, he is speaking in 1765 to all of these issues. And you look at it and it seems like he's speaking prophetically. He seems to see something that we're on the edge of. This is 11 years before we declare independence. And he seems to see that's where this is going. And he seems clearly to see this is God's hand in history, that God in opening up this continent 250 years before that time in the Reformation, driving people across the Atlantic to worship God in these communities. This is a new thing. Where's it going? No one knew. But suddenly, because the British decide to roll up their sleeves and start taxing the colonists, it forces these 13 colonies to unite and to begin thinking about the larger issues in a way that they simply had. Not because the British were practicing, they call salutary neglect. Kind of let them do their thing until 1765. And the British forced them to think hard and to unite. And it leads to this singularity in the history of the world, the creation of the only truly free nation in history. It is something, I think, that it's hard not to see God's hand in it. And I think all of the founders, they saw God's hand and they said so explicitly. None more than John Adams. And again, he is the hero. The monument to him in D.C. cannot be big enough and cannot be built soon enough. I'm so excited.
- [20:51]
Newt Gingrich
There's an interesting cycle here in that a very young George Washington as a colonial officer starts the French and Indian War, what became known in Europe as the Seven Years War, which then comes full circle because the British win the war, which eliminates the French threat from Canada, but leaves Britain with a huge debt which leads the British to decide that they will raise taxes on the Americans at the very moment that the Americans don't feel threatened.
- [21:26]
Eric Metaxas
It's almost funny. It's amazing. Obviously, I write about that in the book because I think that's what led to all this stuff. And the British had no idea. I mean, one thing that came clear to me, dramatically clear, is the evil nature of the British elites. They were wicked, as godly as the Americans were, and they were godly, virtuous, steeped in the Bible, culturally and otherwise, deeply Christian. The British elites were the opposite. They were not just not religious, they were irreligious. They were sneering and mocking of the Christian faith of the colonists. They were dissolute, immortal, moral Figures. George Washington's counterpart, General Howe, openly has a mistress in the time that he's here. Everybody knows about it. It's not just that he has a mistress. Everyone knows about it. They were just really mocking of the faith of the colonists and stood against it. And then the way they prosecuted the war, I never knew this speaker. I have to tell you that the British were barbaric, and I cite it in the book. They were utterly barbaric in the way they prosecuted the war. Our men would surrender and they would bayonet them to. The prisons were a nightmare. If you were captured and put in one of their prisons, it was a virtual death sentence. I mean, it's a level of wickedness I had not known. And then to see Washington and Adams say, we will not stoop to that. We will not do what the British are doing, hiring Hessians and Native Americans to terrorize the civilians and to do these horrible things. We will not stoop to any of this. We will fight God's way and we will trust God with the results. And that is a level of faith that I think that story needs to be told, that they really believed that if we do this God's way, this is a sacred cause, God will give us the victory. I mean, that story needs to be known. Even if you don't like it, it is the history. So my book tells that story. And it's not a Christian book. It's just a book of American history. But it is unavoidable. It is inescapable. And I think that Americans need to hear this because we haven't heard it in our lifetime.
- [23:29]
Newt Gingrich
If it is not about faith, it can't be about the American Revolution. I think it's Washington who says late in his life that anybody who believes this could have happened without God's divine intervention completely misunderstands what happened. That's Washington, who was not thought of normally as a dramatically religious person. When we come back, going to discuss the founders who shaped the revolution and the challenges they faced uniting colonies into a country.
- [24:01]
America 250 Announcer
This July 4th, come celebrate at America's Block Party hosted by America 250. America's Block Party is a can't miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
- [24:11]
Experience music, performances by major artists, patriotic tributes and the kickoff to giving 4th, helping to make July 4th the largest, largest day of giving in American history.
- [24:21]
It's more than just fireworks.
- [24:23]
Join this landmark celebration and get your America's Black Party Tickets now for $17.76 at america250.org LA mom, can I have Lingokids?
- [24:34]
Child 1
Dad, Lingokids, please.
- [24:36]
Child 2
When did we become the Lingokids house?
- [24:38]
Eric Metaxas
No idea.
- [24:39]
America 250 Announcer
Last week it was dinosaurs.
- [24:40]
Child 1
This week it's Lingokids.
- [24:42]
Child 2
Why Lingokids?
- [24:43]
Child 1
Because it's the best thing ever. We can play games with astronauts, wild animals and superheroes.
- [24:48]
StartPage Advertiser
With more than 4,000 interactive games, songs and shows, LingoKids is the number one entertainment platform for young kids.
- [24:55]
Child 1
So no dinosaurs and dinosaurs.
- [25:00]
Child 2
Everything kids love. Download it for free.
- [25:03]
Joybox Advertiser
Flowers fade, cards get tossed. But a personalized song that lasts forever. Surprise someone you love with a custom song made just for them with Joybox. Visit joybox.com to get started on your personalized song today. Don't just just say I love you. Sing it with joy. Box.
- [25:18]
Meaningful Beauty Advertiser
Now I'd like to introduce you to Meaningful Beauty, the famed skincare brand created by iconic supermodel Cindy Crawford. It's her secret to absolutely gorgeous skin. Meaningful Beauty makes powerful and effective skin care simple and it's loved by millions of women. It's formulated for all ages and all skin tones and types. And it's designed to work as a complete skin care system, leaving your skin feeling soft, smooth and nourished. I recommend starting with Cindy's full regimen which contains all five of her best selling products including the amazing youth activating Melon Serum. This next generation serum has the power of melon leaf stem cell technology. It's melon leaf stem cells encapsulated for freshness and released onto the skin to support a visible reduction in the appearance of wrinkles. With thousands of glowing five star reviews, why not give it a try? Subscribe today and you can get the amazing Meaningful Beauty system for just $49.95. That includes our introductory five piece system, free gifts, free shipping and a 60 day money back guarantee. All of that available@meaningfulbeauty.com.
- [26:25]
Newt Gingrich
In your own experiences, you did the research for this. What struck you as you began going through learning the people who actually were directly involved?
- [26:34]
Eric Metaxas
Well again, this is the thing is that to leave out how dramatically, explicitly, openly Christian they were is to lie. These are sins of omission. Samuel Adams, the father of the revolution, the man who behind the scenes in Boston making all this stuff happen that leads to everything that we know about the revolution. That man was more Christian than anybody, more explicit about that than anybody and everybody around him. My goodness, John Hancock. I quote him in the book Patrick Henry. All of them were Christian. Henry Knox is writing letters to his wife, quoting scriptures and talking about the scripture. That morning Everywhere you look, you see this. Nathan Hale, one of the finest young Christian men ever to have lived, gives his life for his country. Everywhere you look, you see this. And I just thought, I don't want to write a book about that. But when you write the book about the American Revolution, you simply can't escape it. I mean, James Otis, Jr. John Adams says that watching him argue in a Boston courtroom in 1761. Before we think of this as beginning, John Adams says that was the opening scene of the revolution. That day was the child independence born. It is amazing when you really look at it. And again, you know, and I know there are a lot of historians, a lot of people, they're very uncomfortable with this PBS in the Case Ken Burns series. They tell the opposite side of the story. They don't want to acknowledge this. And I thought, listen, you don't have to like it, but to be honest, you need to acknowledge it. But we have been, all of us, fed this diet of secularist nonsense. I'm almost speechless at how this has gone on for decades and that when you actually look at the founders themselves, I don't care who it is. I guess that's why they keep pushing Jefferson, because, like, you know, he's kind of the guy they think of as not being so religious. And yet Jefferson and Franklin, when they were asked to create a seal for the new nation, they come up with the narrative of the Israelites in the wilderness, Moses parting the Red Sea, the Israelites in the wilderness following the pillar of fire and the cloud. I mean, the least religious figures put forth. This is our narrative. This is the American narrative. We've escaped from Pharaoh and we are miraculously being delivered to govern ourselves. I mean, this needs to be known and everybody needs to know it, whether they like it or not. This is our history, and it's how we got everything that we usually take for granted called liberty.
- [29:10]
Newt Gingrich
The fact is that to try to explain the origins of America and to try to explain the nature of the people who wrote both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution without recognizing the sense of faith they had? And their willingness to gamble everything based on that faith is just historically nonsense. And I'm curious, from your standpoint, how did we end up drifting into this belief that permeates our colleges and our universities?
- [29:43]
Eric Metaxas
You know this better than I do. This is where we have been. This has been a secular culture. Whether you want to go back to the 60s, it goes way before the 60s. Buckley writes his book God and Man at Yale about the Yale of the late late 40s, and it goes way before that. This is a secular narrative driven by the left that are basically Marxists. Marxists hate the idea of God. They don't want whatever they have to do to push him out. And they have the long march through the institutions. They've taken over the academy, they've taken over the culture. It is time, high time, that we push back very hard. They have really lied. They've lied to all of us. And I think that again, all we're arguing for is the truth, not our version of the truth. Not to, you know, turn the founding into something that it's not. But the facts speak for themselves, and we have not heard those facts. And it's a secular project. Our whole lives, all of reality, has been taken over by the secularist narrative. And it's nonsense. We've got to push back. I mean, this is just one version of it. But everywhere you look in the culture, the secular narrative has been pushed hard by people on the left in Hollywood and New York City. I think it's changing, but it really needs to change. It's as you know and I know if you push God out, bad things happen. The Soviet Union collapsed, the French Revolution failed. Socialism doesn't work. These things actually don't work. And, you know, perhaps we should talk about it.
- [31:11]
Newt Gingrich
The first commandment is have no other God before me. And in a sense, the secularists are desperate to reject God. There's something here about the very nature of life, I guess, that they somehow think you can explain life in the absence of any spiritual framework.
- [31:34]
Eric Metaxas
I wrote a book called Is Atheism Dead? This is true of science. They have pretended, they've sold this idea that life emerged from non life 4 billion years ago. Bing. Cells just came into being. And we now can know that that is insane. A cell is almost infinitely complex. To suggest that random sloshing in a pool created a single cell is insanity. It's like saying that if I throw a bunch of things against the wall enough times, a computer will emerge, Emerge. It's insanity. So that secular narrative has driven science. You know, this is going back into the late 19th century. Einstein was intimidated by the secularists. He didn't want to admit that the universe is expanding because it looked too much like God is involved everywhere you look. The secularists have been pushing in the world of science in history. And listen, if it were true, I would say, well, that's that it is not only untrue, it is preposterous. And it's high time we told the Truth. So it's simply about being honest. And my book, Revolution, simply wants to tell the truth about our founding, how these liberties came into being. Who is the author of our liberties?
- [32:46]
Newt Gingrich
Who?
- [32:46]
Eric Metaxas
Capital W is God. And I think that it's high time we understood this again as Americans. So that's basically why I wrote the book. I said, we need to know this. This is not optional. This is not extra credit. It's at the heart of keeping the Republic.
- [33:00]
Newt Gingrich
It doesn't seem to me you can explain Washington without looking at his sense of faith as you encounter him. How do you explain Washington and the degree to which he really did become the indispensable man?
- [33:16]
Eric Metaxas
Well, I think sometimes I think it's true of Lincoln, and I think it's true of President Trump. Sometimes you see God's hand in the creation of someone that it seems inexplicable. Washington is so extraordinary. You think, where did he come from? If he didn't exist, who would have been the man? I can't think of anyone even close to being able to do what Washington did. Sometimes a figure emerges in history, and again, you know this far better than I do, a Churchill, that you really see God's hand in it. But God is a God of history. Why do we forget that? Why do we think it's random? It's not random. God acts in history. Washington knew that. I think Washington, as humble as he was, as diffident as he was, I think he had a deep sense of destiny, and it's why he was able to fight through some of the horrors that he had to experience. What he saw and what he had to put up with. It was not fun, but he knew he was really appointed by God to do what he did and that he could lean on God. He didn't need to worry. He could simply trust God, do his job and trust God. And really, that is the story for each one of us, right? Do your job. Do what God called you to do. Obey God and trust him with the results. There's no other way to live. And the fact that one of the greatest men in history, George Washington, lived that way, ought to be the biggest example to us. And I can't think of a greater hero than George Washington.
- [34:41]
Newt Gingrich
Washington is recruited to be the colonial advisor to General Braddock as they march west from Carlisle and warns Braddock not to go down the middle of the road and that wearing wood uniforms is not a smart idea and that the French and Indians are going to fire from behind trees. Braddock ignores him because he's only a colonial. At the very beginning of the battle, when they are ambushed by the French Indians, Braddock is mortally wounded. Washington, as a colonial ends up taking over and saving the army. He's a big man physically, and he's on a very big horse at the end of the day. He's had two horses shot out from under him, has four bullet holes in his coat. And about 10 years later, he is at an Indian powwow. And one of the chiefs says to him, God must have some purpose for you because we were all trying to kill you. He said, I personally shot at you 13 times, and we just couldn't hit you. And I do think in that sense that there was a very calm sense of destiny that is at the heart of Washington.
- [35:51]
Eric Metaxas
There's no doubt about it in my mind. And the same God that preserved his life turned President Trump's head. God is a God of history. We ought to acknowledge it, because it becomes obvious the more you know, the less avoidable that is. And I think we are privileged, even that is a not strong enough word to live in the United States of America. So we need to know these stories for God's purposes. This is not. Again, this is not extra credit. This is at the center of what it is to be an American, to know these stories. And you've done so much in helping people understand that. You know, I feel honored that I get to do my part, especially in this 250th year where people would be more interested than normal in what happened 250 years ago.
- [36:37]
Newt Gingrich
Coming up, we'll separate fact from myth surrounding the Declaration of Independence and discuss what the revolution's legacy means. As America approaches its 250th anniversary this
- [36:49]
America 250 Announcer
July 4th, come celebrate at America's Block Party. Hosted by America 250, America's Block Party is a can't miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
- [36:59]
Experience music, performances by major artists, patrons, patriotic tributes, and the kickoff to giving 4th, helping to make July 4th the largest day of giving in American history.
- [37:08]
It's more than just fireworks.
- [37:10]
Join this landmark celebration and get your America's Block Party Tickets now for $17.76 at america250.org LA mom, can I have Lingokids?
- [37:21]
Child 1
That's Lingokids, please.
- [37:23]
Child 2
When did we become the Lingokids House?
- [37:25]
Parent
No idea.
- [37:26]
America 250 Announcer
Last week it was dinosaurs.
- [37:28]
Child 1
This weekend, Lingokids.
- [37:29]
Child 2
Why Lingokids?
- [37:30]
Child 1
Because it's the best thing ever. We can play games with astronauts, wild animals and superheroes.
- [37:35]
StartPage Advertiser
With more than 4,000 interactive games, songs and shows. LingoKids is the number one entertainment platform for young kids.
- [37:43]
Child 1
So no dinosaurs and dinosaurs.
- [37:45]
Child 2
Lingokids everything kids love, download it for free.
- [37:50]
StartPage Advertiser
AI is taking over the Internet. Made up facts, technology thinking for you. StartPage is the private search engine that still finds what you need without the noise. Try startpage@startpage.com that's startpage.com Now I'd like
- [38:06]
Meaningful Beauty Advertiser
to introduce you to Meaningful Beauty, the famed skincare brand created by iconic supermodel Cindy Crawford. It's her secret to absolutely gorgeous skin. Meaningful Beauty makes powerful and effective skin care simple and it's loved by millions of women. It's formulated in for all ages and all skin tones and types. And it's designed to work as a complete skin care system, leaving your skin feeling soft, smooth and nourished. I recommend starting with Cindy's full regimen which contains all five of her best selling products including the amazing Youth Activating Melon Serum. This next generation serum has the power of melon leaf stem cell technology. It's melon leaf stem cells encapsulated for freshness and released onto the skin to support a visible reduction in the appearance of wrinkles. With thousands of glowing five star reviews, why not give it a try? Subscribe today and you can get the Amazing Meaningful Beauty system for just $49.95. That includes our introductory five piece system, free gifts, free shipping and a 60 day money back guarantee. All of that available@meaningfulbeauty.com.
- [39:12]
Newt Gingrich
From your perspective, having read this terrific book and done all the research, what is it you want on this 250th birthday? The American people to take away and sort of their inheritance from America?
- [39:27]
Eric Metaxas
Well, when you read my book, which I hope is extremely readable, that's always my goal, I don't think it's something that you can avoid seeing that this was God's idea, this nation was God's idea. And if you get to live here, you've been given a gift you don't deserve and therefore you need to treat it in such a way that you understand this has been handed to you for God's purposes in history. I think that every single one of us, this is our story. Benjamin Rush says there's a revolution after the revolution. We're not done in 1783. We now through the decades and centuries have to continue living this out. And one of the ways we live it out and many times in the Bible, God calls us to look back and remember, remember, remember. We've got to remember we've Got to tell these stories. We've got to understand this. If we don't, we lose it. We almost lost it a few years ago, and we are still in a great battle. Americans need to be very involved in knowing the story and telling the story. When you know it, you simply cannot escape that. God's hand is in this nation. And he doesn't bless us to bless us. He blesses us that we would be a blessing to others, to others around the world who are looking to us as a shining city on a hill and saying, how do they do that there? How do we get what they get? Because there are people all around the world hungry for what we have. So I think it's a sacred moment in history right now, and I feel privileged that we're alive at this time.
- [40:51]
Newt Gingrich
So the subtitle of your book calls America, quote, the greatest nation in the history of the world. How would you make the case to skeptics who either disagree or don't understand?
- [41:05]
Eric Metaxas
Well, I think the book makes the case, and I think that there are a lot of skeptics that they're not interested. They're offended by the idea. But it's like if somebody's 7ft tall and you're offended by that, there's really nothing he can do about it. America is the greatest nation in the history of the world. Not because you and I are any better than anybody in the world. Of course not. We're all equal in God's sight. But God has given us the ability to govern ourselves in a certain way that had never been done in history. It is a monumental moment in the history of the world and we have been able to carry that on. And as we carry it on, it's our duty to continue to carry it on. Not just say, hey, this is great, but to say that I don't deserve this. And so I've got to give back. I've got to understand this and I' I've got to be a part of continuing this and sharing this. I think that, again, there's some people that they're just offended by this. They're not interested in the facts. I won't argue with them. I think the story tells itself. Anybody with an open mind, I think, will see what I saw.
- [42:00]
Newt Gingrich
I'm asking all My guests, celebrating America 250, how will you be spending the holiday?
- [42:07]
Eric Metaxas
This is true. I don't know. I know that I will be in Washington, D.C. because I'm speaking on the evening of July 3rd at the Museum of the Bible on. On July 5th. I'm speaking at Cornerstone Church in Leesburg, Virginia. So I know I'm not gonna go home, but I do not yet know what I'll be doing. But I do know I will be in the nation's capital.
- [42:26]
Newt Gingrich
You know, bet the fireworks are gonna be unbelievable. I can't imagine President Trump not wanting to go for the world record.
- [42:33]
Eric Metaxas
I already heard that he's going to. Of course. Of course.
- [42:36]
Newt Gingrich
That's great. Eric Ona, thank you for joining me. Your new book, Revolution the Birth of the Greatest Nation in the History of the World, is available now on Amazon and in bookstores everywhere. And it could hardly be more timely.
- [42:50]
Eric Metaxas
Thank you so much.
- [42:52]
Newt Gingrich
Thank you to my guest, Eric Metaxas. Newtsworld is produced by Gingrich360 and iHeartMedia. Our executive producer is Garnesey Sloan. Our researcher is Rachel Peterson. Special thanks to the team at Gingrich360. If you've been enjoying Newts World, I hope you'll go to Apple Podcasts and both rate us with five stars and give us a review so others can learn what it's all about. Join me on substack@gingrich360.net I'm Newt Gingrich. This is Newt's World.
- [43:30]
America 250 Announcer
This July 4th, come celebrate at America's Block Party, hosted by America 250. America's Block Party is a can't miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
- [43:40]
Experience music, performances by major artists, patriotic tributes, and the kickoff to giving 4th, helping to make July 4th the largest day of giving in American history.
- [43:50]
It's more than just fireworks.
- [43:52]
Join this landmark celebration and get your America's Black Party Tickets now for $17.76 at america250.org LA mom, can I have Lingokids?
- [44:03]
Child 1
Dad? Lingokids, please.
- [44:05]
Child 2
When did we become the Lingokids?
- [44:07]
Cindy Crawford
No idea.
- [44:08]
America 250 Announcer
Last week it was dinosaurs.
- [44:09]
Child 1
This week it's Lingokids.
- [44:11]
Child 2
Why Lingokids?
- [44:12]
Child 1
Because it's the best thing ever. You can play games with astronauts, wild animals and superheroes.
- [44:17]
StartPage Advertiser
With more than 4,000 interactive games, songs and shows, LingoKids is the number one entertainment platform for young kids.
- [44:24]
Child 1
So no dinosaurs and dinosaurs.
- [44:27]
Child 2
Lingo, kids, everything kids love. Download it for free.
- [44:32]
StartPage Advertiser
They track, they target that hotel, those shoes, your searches, your clicks. Every time you come back, prices can change. When websites know you want something, look again. And all of a sudden, it costs more. And they saw you coming. Startpage, the private search engine, helps keep what you look up online from becoming a price tag. Nothing saved. Nothing to use against you. What you search for is your business. Try StartPage, the private search engine@startpage.com that's startpage.com.
- [45:03]
Firestone Advertiser
your vehicle doesn't just get you from here to there. It's a bridge to the people and places that matter most. It's how you show up for your family, your community and everyone else that depends on you. That's why for 125 years, Firestone has been building tires with one thing in to deliver products that are as reliable as you are. Firestone, always dependable since 1900.
- [45:32]
America 250 Announcer
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [45:34]
Meaningful Beauty Advertiser
Guaranteed Human.