The Poison of Individualism (from the Amerika blog)

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Stephen Clay McGehee

Today’s post at Mr. Brett Stevens’ Amerika blog, titled The Death Within, does a wonderful job of summarizing much of what we’ve discussed here on Confederate Colonel. While Mr. Stevens has a different focus in his writings, the basic theme is a big part of what we have on Confederate Colonel.

As one who had embraced radical libertarianism while in college in the early 1970’s, I fully understand the attraction of an individual-based system. I associated with others who introduced me to the libertarian concept, and who were active in the libertarian political scene. That was a time when trusting in “self” and radical self-government appeared to be the solution to all life’s problems. Instead, it was a Utopian fantasy. One of the blessings of growing up is the ability to understand the shortcomings of all men, including ones self.

He goes into much greater detail, but this section of the post will give you a good idea of what it is about. Be sure to read the entire post.

If humanity does not shrug off this illusion, it will self-destruct.

Here at Amerika, we retaliate with a few ideas:

  • There is no equality. Crush their primal taboo, which is the idea of no hierarchy. We all have different abilities and most importantly, moral character. Some are stronger than others.
  • Bring back the monarchy. We trust in institutions and lists of rules to make our leaders honest. It doesn’t work. Instead, pick honest leaders, or people who are ahead of the rest of us in moral character and leadership ability.
  • Social Darwinism is a friend. Stop saving people from themselves. Stop welfare, stop subsidies, stop warnings. We don’t need (to) save people from themselves. Let natural selection work for us.
  • Focus on nature. Our cities and even suburbs are designed to hide nature away. Instead, make sure everything is surrounded by forest so that people always know primal fear, and transcendental beauty.

Mr. Stevens’ Amerika blog has been a part of my regular reading for quite a while – highly recommended.

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Some Facts About Monarchies

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Stephen Clay McGehee

princessmadeleineToday’s post at the Mad Monarchist (one of my favorite blogs) presents some interesting facts about the actual cost of monarchies compared to republics. Here are a few points from the post:

In Great Britain, the Queen is known for being exceptionally frugal, using the same car until it practically falls apart. In fact, in a recent year, the travel expenses for the entire British Royal Family was considerably less than the travel expenses for President Obama and his small crew.
•••
(W)hen people think of Marie Antoinette, they think lavishness and frivolity, they do not think of a woman who gave large amounts to charity, who broke down social barriers at court and who invited poor children to eat with her own royal offspring at Versailles. When it comes to royal children for that matter, it may surprise some to know how much more luxuriously the children of a President of the United States live compared to royal or even imperial offspring.
•••
The Romanov Archduchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, for example, had to sleep on camp beds and take cold baths. Their educational schedule was positively Spartan with dawn till dark studies and exercises. The White House may not be the Winter Palace but you can be sure the Obama daughters are taking hot baths at night. Similarly, when one thinks of an Emperor one doesn’t usually think of someone like Emperor Francis Joseph who slept on an army cot and wore clothes until they were worn out -and then patched them and wore them some more!
•••
In Russia, Emperor Alexander III preferred the simple meals of his servants to the delicacies of the banquets thrown by the upper class and his idea of recreation was a simple walk in the Russian wilderness with some sausage and a piece of bread for his lunch. These imperial leaders were hardly men of lavish, wasteful luxury and indulgence.

So… what is the point of this, you may ask? Why are we reading about monarchies on the Confederate Colonel blog? Aside from the fact that monarchies are a time-proven form of government that is grossly misunderstood by those who depend on American public schools for their education, it would behoove us give some serious thought as to what will replace the republican form of government here in America once it fully self-destructs. If you don’t see that coming, then you’re not paying attention. Am I advocating that America become a monarchy? The fact that I cannot see any realistic path from “here” to “there” precludes that. Still, it is a form of government that has stood the test of time for far longer than any form of self-government has. It’s a sad commentary on our ability to govern ourselves.

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Boy Scouts Version 3.0

Posted on June 2, 2013 by Stephen Clay McGehee

Scoutmaster - by Norman Rockwell

Scoutmaster – by Norman Rockwell

The Thinking Housewife had a post titled The Boy Scouts – R.I.P. It was about their decision to allow openly homosexual males into the organization as Scouts (though not as leaders – at least not yet). While the entire post was excellent, the final paragraph is what I want to focus on here:

The Boy Scouts is no more, but there are still boys. There are still vast woods and lots of sticks with which to build fires. There are still plenty of good men who want to introduce boys to manhood. One doesn’t need a corporate-funded super-organization to take a pack of boys into the woods and learn about survival. It’s time to begin anew.

I have titled this post “Boy Scouts Version 3.0″ to identify what comes next. I was fortunate enough to have been a Boy Scout during version 1.0 – before political correctness did what it always does and destroy the traditional culture. I was in Scouting in the early 1960’s. What we are seeing now is version 2.0, but it won’t be long before 2.0 will be so different from 1.0 as to be unrecognizable as the same organization. In time, the Boy Scouts will be much like a church that decides it is more important to please Man than to obey God. The good people begin to leave as the worldly people take over. The process accelerates until it becomes little more than a social club for nice people.

What happens to those who leave because Scouting has become what it was intended to protect boys and young men from? The Thinking Housewife is correct:
• There are still plenty of good men who want to help boys become men.
• There is no requirement for a massive organization and corporate sponsorship.

It is time for the Scouting equivalent of Home-schooling.

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Sharing The Joy

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Stephen Clay McGehee

There are times when I feel the need to step away from the main topic of Confederate Colonel and share something from my personal life. This is one of those times.

This is a video of two dear friends and their marriage proposal. Angelo just completed one year serving as a missionary in Thessaloniki, Greece as a part of a mission project that our church helped sponsor (my wife spent two weeks there as part of that project). He and Crystal had gotten to know each other during his visits here … and … well … things sort of blossomed from there. Crystal had flown from Florida to Sydney, Australia to meet Angelo’s family. Watch what happens when she arrives.

I hope you’ll join me in wishing this couple – my brother and sister in Christ – all the best as they start their new life with the goal of serving our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and spreading The Gospel.

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Encouraging Our Daughters to Enjoy Childhood

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Lisa Botts

j0178643In this day and time our children are being pushed into adulthood long before they are emotionally ready. I won’t go into the myriad reasons for this because I have no wish to start debates with people who want to justify it. There is a difference in teaching a child responsibility and expecting them to behave like adults.

A very dear friend of mine has a granddaughter who will be seven years old in a couple of weeks. I carefully selected her gift to be something age appropriate and that encourages girlhood from a Biblical perspective. I’ve written her a letter to include with her gift but I felt the need to share this letter with other young girls and their mothers.

Dear Sweet Hannah Grace,

Happy Birthday! Seven is such a wonderful time in a little girl’s life. You have already learned so many things but it’s just the beginning. There is a whole world full of wonders out there waiting for you to discover them.

For your birthday, this is my special prayer for you:
That you will always love God – He always loves you.
That you will love and respect your parents.
That you will love and protect your baby brother.

I know you may not understand all of this right now but one day you will. Do not be in a hurry to grow up. Ride horses, swim, sing silly songs at the top of your lungs, swing as high as you can on a swing, run, play, catch lightening bugs in jars on a summer night, spin around until you get dizzy, make daisy chains, share secrets with your friends and laugh until you get the hiccups. Hang onto the sweetness that every day of this precious time in your life holds.

I also want you to know that you are surrounded by family and friends who want only the best things in life for you and will always love you.

These activities might seem immature to some but they are the activities that filled my own summer days in the South when I was a little girl. I long to see my grandchildren experience these things for themselves.

Let’s stop encouraging our daughters (sons too, for that matter) to grow up too fast. Encourage them instead to do the things I wrote above to this sweet little girl. Help them to maintain their childlike innocence just as long as possible. For once innocence is lost, it can never be recovered.

Posted in Culture and Heritage, Manners, Traditions, and Etiquette | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Manhood – A Hazardous Journeys video

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Stephen Clay McGehee

Vision Forum Ministries has long been a favorite resource for building a Godly family and raising young men and young ladies into mature, Godly adults. The Hazardous Journeys Society is a part of Vision Forum. Our society has embraced the idea that childhood is a “never ending story” and that real responsibility is too great a burden to place on the young. That brings to mind the way my father, as Scoutmaster when I was a Boy Scout, would talk to the Scouts. He talked to us as men. We would be standing as a troop in formation and he would say, “When we get to the camp site, I want you men to get with your patrol leaders and set up a neat and orderly camp under their direction.” For young teenagers trying to learn our place in the world, this would be the first time many of us were treated as adults. Our reaction was that if he treated us as adults, then we must be adults and act accordingly. To not act as an adult would be to show that we were not worthy of being treated as men, and no one wanted to let that happen.

This short video illustrates a boy’s entry into manhood; it requires no words.

The Hazardous Journeys Society (HJS) was founded to give glory to God, not man, as part of an exciting effort of world exploration. The purpose of the HJS is to provide teams of intrepid adventurers, photographers, students, scientists, journalists, and naturalists with an opportunity to engage in journeys of discover around the globe and to interpret their findings from a perspective that honors the Creator.
External Links

www.hazardousjourneys.org

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Lessons from The Titanic

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Stephen Clay McGehee

TitanicChivalryFollowing is an email that I received from Vision Forum – an organization that I have the highest respect for. It wasn’t until their coverage of the moral aspects of the sinking of the Titanic that I fully understood the importance of that event – and how sadly lacking that level of character and courage is today.

This April 14 marks the 101st anniversary of the sinking if the R.M.S. Titanic, one of the most highlighted moments in history in which men and boys sacrificed their lives for women and children.

One year ago, families from all across the country came together to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. It was an incredible event and one which gave glory to God for His hand of grace on the lives of the men who sacrificed themselves on that cold April night. With more than a hundred reenactors, soul-stirring messages, many live performances that highlighted the music of the era, and a memorable dinner cruise, we have been told by many that it was one of the most moving events in the history of Vision Forum Ministries.

The hundred-year mark of Titanic’s sinking truly stands as a place holder in a culture which has forgotten what it means to act nobly, to willingly give your life for another, and to honor women and children. At the heart of the forgotten notion of chivalry is the biblical doctrine of male sacrifice. This was exemplified in the life of Jesus Christ who gave his life for his “Bride,” the Church.

But the legacy of the men of the Titanic may not be ignored and left to end after its centennial mark. Click here to view a collection of more then thirty music, message, and performance clips from the Titanic 100.

The Legacy and Ongoing Work of the CBMTS

More than fifteen years ago, my father founded the Christian Boys’ & Men’s Titanic Society (CBMTS) to promote the biblical understanding of “Women and Children First” to future generations. Our goal is to study the many spiritual lessons which can be derived from the sinking of the Titanic and to apply them to our lives today, both spiritually and practically. Since that time, the CBMTS has come together for one evening each year to commemorate the legacy of the Titanic and to remind boys and men of our duty to carry the mantle of sacrificial manhood.

Last year, for the one hundredth anniversary celebration, my father passed the baton of leadership for the society to me. My desire is to see this important work advance. This next week, a group of men and boys will be gathering in San Antonio, Texas, headquarters of the Christian Boys’ & Men’s Titanic Society, to continue to honor the men of the Titanic and to commit to living sacrificially as we remember this monumental event with our annual dinner.

An Appeal to You: Gather a Dozen Friends and Hold Your Own Titanic Dinner

This year, I also would like to encourage each of you to begin a similar tradition. It doesn’t need to be big; it doesn’t need to be complicated. Just gather a few or many of your friends together for an evening meal of prayer, thanksgiving, and commemoration as men. What a wonderful thing it would be to know that, in dozens of places around the country, men are gathering to honor those who went before us!

How to Host a Dinner

The elements are simple:

  • Gather your friends (men and boys).
  • Eat out or in, but make it a memorable feast.
  • Read excerpts from The Sinking of the Titanic or other historical accounts.
  • Let each person share a Scripture, prayer, poem, or toast.
  • Exhort each other to noble leadership and sacrifice.
  • Leave a record of your gathering in some form or another for the future.

Remembering the legacy of an event from so long ago is not just about getting together, but it is about gathering, giving thanks, and applying the lessons to our own life.

For Women and Children First,

Joshua Titus Phillips
President, The CBMTS

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Leaving The American Sector

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Stephen Clay McGehee

CheckpointCharlie
Checkpoint Charlie was “ground zero” of the Cold War. On one side was the Western culture known everywhere as “America”. On the other side was the world of razor wire and gun towers, grey concrete buildings, and the complete repression of the human spirit. It was Communism. It was the final destination of the cult of egalitarianism. It was where America is now headed. The sign at Checkpoint Charlie said it all – “Leaving The American Sector”.

Three things come to mind as I consider where this country is headed – and where we are being dragged against our will. The first two are signposts along the way. The last is a look back at the culture and civilization America is leaving behind.

• The ban on women in combat has now been removed. Since the Old Testament days, the idea of sending women into combat was simply unthinkable. For thousands of years of human history, we had the good sense to understand the different roles of men and women in society. No civilized society worthy of the name would even consider such an idea. But then, we no longer are a civilized society, are we? The military is no longer a force to defend against foreign enemies and a deterrent to aggression. With this following in the footsteps of embracing open homosexuals in the military, our armed forces are now just another instrument of social change.

• The Boy Scouts of America have announced that they may lift the ban on homosexual Scouts and Scout leaders. The Boy Scout Oath ends with the words, “To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.” Those are words that helped guide untold thousands of young boys into manhood – including myself. Those are words that will no longer have any real meaning if Scouting caves in under the pressure of the Cultural Marxists now in charge. One of the few remaining institutions that stood for what is good and right appears about to crumble.

• In contrast to those two items, our church just finished its 15th annual Bible Conference. One of my roles during the conference is to take photos to post on our church web site. As I snapped photos of the people during this four-day event, I was struck by the stark difference between what I saw there and what is now celebrated as the norm of present-day American “culture.” There were individuals and families (some spanning three generations), the ladies were all dressed modestly, the men were neatly dressed and well groomed. Everyone was as kind and polite as can be. People pitched in to help in any way they could. It was a slice of Norman Rockwell Americana. It was the way life is supposed to be in a civilized Western society.

Find and cherish the enclaves of our culture. Nurture and care for them. We are truly Leaving the American Sector.

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Southern Generosity

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Stephen Clay McGehee

Mint.com has released a map showing the amount of charitable giving by state. It should come as no surprise that, as a region, Dixie has the highest rate of giving. Some outliers are Utah and Idaho, which have high numbers of Mormons with their enforced tithing requirement. There is also a very strong correlation between generosity and level of religious commitment – again, there is a reason that Dixie is also known as The Bible Belt.

There’s just something warm and friendly and giving about our Southern culture.

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Bright Sunny South

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Stephen Clay McGehee

Bright Sunny South is a hauntingly beautiful ballad of The South. While believed to have its roots in Celtic culture, its origins are uncertain, with some attributing it to a folks song from Nova Scotia. There are several versions of the lyrics, but those shown below are the most widely known. The video features a rendition performed by Bittersweet and Briers.

From the bright sunny South to the war, I was sent,
E’er the days of my boyhood, I scarcely had spent.
From it’s cool shady forests and deep flowing streams,
Ever fond in my mem’ry, ever sweet in my dreams.

Oh, my dear little sister, I still see her tears.
When I had to leave home in our tender years.
And my sweet gentle mother, so dear to my heart,
It grieved me sincerely when we had to part.

Said my kind-hearted father as he took my hand:
“As you go in defense of our dear native Land,
“Son, be brave but show mercy whenever you can.
“Our hearts will be with you, ’til you return again.”

In my bag there’s a Bible to show me the way,
Through my trials here on earth and to Heaven some day.
I will shoulder my musket and brandish my sword,
In defense of this Land and the word of the Lord.

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