Published Monday, September 14, 2026 |
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WHO RULES?
The crux of President Donald Trump’s Dallas speech last week was unmistakable: America again faces the threat of communism—this time, Trump argued, from an ideology that has penetrated the Democratic Party.
IT WAS, IN MANY RESPECTS, REAGANESQUE.
Ronald Reagan understood that communism was more than an economic theory. It represented a comprehensive view of man, government, family, property, education, and ultimately the source of authority itself. |
TRUMP SOUNDED THAT ALARM AGAIN IN DALLAS.
A little more than an hour into his address, he said:
One of the democrats top congressional candidates is a self-described Marxist who says he hates family households ... and wants to destroy the American way of life.
Whatever one thinks of Trump, his remarks bring us to a question much larger than electoral politics:
WHO POSSESSES ULTIMATE AUTHORITY?
Is man governed by an authority transcending the state—by God and His moral law, with the family, church, and civil government each possessing legitimate but limited spheres of authority?
OR IS THE STATE ITSELF THE FINAL ARBITER?
It is in the classrooms of America’s schools that the standard-bearers of the nation’s future develop their answers. |
And that is why the battle over education is never merely about test scores, teacher salaries, curriculum standards, or administrative efficiency.
IT IS A BATTLE OVER AUTHORITY.
Who determines what the child will be taught?
Who defines truth, morality, history, human nature, family, and citizenship?
For the Christian, government did not create the family. Government did not create the church. Government did not create truth.
Government therefore possesses no legitimate authority to redefine them at will.
WHO DEFINES THE STANDARD?
That brings us to a book receiving attention in Oklahoma: John Fugelsang’s Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds.
Area Churches Promote it here. Oklahoma GOP Candidate Promotes it here. |
FUGELSANG CHALLENGES CONFIDENCE IN THE BIBLICAL TEXT AND ITS TRANSMISSION.
This is hardly undiscovered territory. Scholars have spent centuries examining manuscripts, textual variants, ancient translations, canon formation, and quotations preserved in early Christian writings.
Clearly, these areas of scholarship are well outside of Fugelsang's arena.
I addressed the science of canonicity and textual transmission in the July 27, 2026 edition of the OCPAC Foundation newsletter here.
THE QUESTION OF AUTHORITY MATTERS ENORMOUSLY.
If Scripture is unknowable, its authority becomes irrelevant.
If Scripture is placed beneath the judgment of modern cultural and political sensibilities, then Scripture is no longer the standard.
The interpreter has become the standard.
But if its text has been transmitted with sufficient reliability that we can know what its authors wrote, we confront a much more uncomfortable question:
What if God has actually spoken?
If He has, neither legislatures, courts, universities, school boards, political parties, nor individual citizens possess authority to amend His decrees.
WHEN THE STATE BECOMES THE STANDARD
Remove transcendent authority and something must occupy the vacant throne.
Angelo Codevilla, in his introduction to Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince, put the matter starkly:
The non-existence of God means that earthly power is absolute and thereon Christians have stigmatized Machiavelli as a teacher of evil. It is why Thomas Hobbes, G. W. F. Hegel, Auguste Comte, and countless lesser lights have used Machiavelli as their compass.
—Angelo M. Codevilla, “Editor’s Introduction,” The Prince, p. viii; 1997, Yale University Press |
There is the issue in a sentence: If there is no authority above earthly power, what finally limits earthly power?
Machiavelli, Robespierre, Marx, and Lenin represented profoundly different historical movements and philosophies. Yet each illustrates the inclination of autonomous man to subordinate classic Christian moral restraints to political power or revolutionary purpose.
When transcendent authority disappears, power itself becomes its own justification.
THE CLEVEREST WRITE THE RULES. POLITICAL POWER ENFORCES THEM.
As the President began to conclude his comments in Dallas last week, he warned that the radical ideas associated with history’s revolutionaries are not confined to the past but are again competing for political and cultural influence. Of one congressional candidate, Trump said:
Another quotes Karl Marx saying she wants to seize the means of production and puts the works of communist butchers like Lenin, Stalin into every library. They wanna put the books of Lenin ... and Stalin in every library for all our young children to read and study. |
If children are fundamentally entrusted to the stewardship of their parents, parents must possess meaningful authority over their education.
If, however, the state possesses the superior claim, parental authority exists only at the state’s pleasure.
Educational choice is therefore far more than education policy.
It is a declaration about the limits of government.
It says the state is not God.
It says the state does not own the child.
It says parental authority and responsibility precede government.
And it says education cannot legitimately be monopolized by those who possess political power.
Trump spoke in Dallas about communism and Marxism. But beneath that political rhetoric lies a question far older—and ultimately far more important—than either Marxism or American party politics. |
Who rules?
God—or man?
Divine revelation—or political fashion?
The family—or the bureaucracy?
Liberty under law—or authority concentrated in the state?
We are not merely debating where children attend school.
We are debating who possesses the authority to educate the next generation—and ultimately, who will define the civilization that generation inherits. |
On May 18, 2026, GOP Gubernatorial candidate, Mike Mazzei, appeared on Trinity Broadcasting Network television to talk about his life philosophy of work as worship. __________________ |
DR EVERETT PIPER from Sunday, September 13, 2026
A TALE OF JAMES TALARICO AND THOMAS PAINE |
“I always think of myself as a Christian who hates Christianity…[I am against] religion in neutral and public spaces… The Bible is all over the place [on marriage and morality] … I trust women [and men] to make their own decisions.”
These are just a few quotes from Democrat James Talarico, who is currently running (and leading in the polls) to replace John Cornyn as senator for Texas. |
If you have a sense of déjà vu - that you heard this all somewhere before – you’d be right. In fact, one of America’s most influential historical leaders said something similar over 200 years ago. Consider the following:
"Whenever we read the obscene stories… with which more than half the bible is filled, it would seem more consistent that we called it the word of a demon than the Word of God… I do not believe in the creed professed by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church.”
These are quotes from Thomas Paine’s “Age of Reason.” |
Now, some who fancy themselves to be more progressive in their thinking may say, “Well, there you have it! We’ve been trying to tell you that America was founded as a secular nation and not on religious dogma. These quotes are the proof that James Talarico is more in line with our founding ideals than you conservative Christians.”
BUT NOT SO FAST!
Before we jump to such conclusions, maybe we should consider what the other founding fathers actually said about Thomas Paine’s work. In other words, did the preponderance of America’s patriarchs agree or disagree with him?
Here’s just a sampling of responses from the likes of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and others. |
John Adams was quite blunt in his opprobrium for Mr. Paine’s Age of Reason:
"The Christian religion is, above all the religions that ever prevailed or existed in ancient or modern times, the religion of wisdom, virtue, equity and humanity; let the Blackguard Paine say what he will."
Benjamin Franklin, likewise, pulled no punches:
"I would advise you,” he wrote to Paine, “not to attempt unchaining the tiger, but to burn this piece before any other person sees it; whereby you will save yourself a great deal of trouble, and your enemies a great deal of triumph."
Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, called Paine’s writing, "absurd and impious."
Charles Carroll, another signer of the Declaration, described Paine's work as “blasphemous writings against the Christian religion."
John Witherspoon, president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton), and, likewise, a signer of the Declaration, said Mr. Paine was "ignorant of human nature as well as an enemy to the Christian faith."
Sam Adams, whom some called the firebrand of the Revolution, delivered a stiff rebuke to Paine: "When I heard you had turned your mind to a defense of infidelity, I felt myself much astonished..." He then urged Mr. Paine to reconsider writing what he (Adams) considered a betrayal of the very moral foundations that made the Revolution possible.
Elias Boudinot, president of the Continental Congress, didn't just criticize Paine — he wrote a full-length rebuttal titled “The Age of Revelation.” In this, Boudinot systematically dismantled Paine's arguments and showed that Christianity, not secularism, was the true foundation of human flourishing and the American experiment. |
Thomas Paine, though hugely influential in the first days of the American Revolution (he is the one who wrote the words, “These are the times that try men’s souls,” my goodness), died a pariah.
His enthronement of himself as the final authority over all morality led nearly all of his fellow founders to condemn him as a menace rather than a hero of freedom.
Paine set reason against revelation as though they were enemies and, thus, became more a champion of the French Revolution than that of America’s.
Thomas Paine died on June 8, 1809, in New York City. Only six people attended his funeral. He was buried in a cow pasture, in an unmarked grave. |
The man who had helped birth a nation was laid in the ground and forgotten. Why was he so ostracized and shunned? Well, as one writer puts it, “A man cannot build a house and then burn down its foundation and expect to keep living in it.”
Let this be a cautionary tale (and perhaps prophetic one) for the likes of James Talarico and all those who align with such a broken and arrogant worldview.
Elevating your feelings above facts and your reason above God’s revelation never ends well.
We should all pray that in November the Texas voters will remember the wisdom of John Adams and Benjamin Franklin:
“Let the Blackguard Talarico say what he will. His words are ignorant of human nature as well as an enemy to the Christian faith and freedom.” |
Find Dr. Piper's complete article here. |
Find more Everett Piper here: Everett Piper (dreverettpiper.com, @dreverettpiper), a columnist for The Washington Times, is a former university president and radio host.
He is the author of “Not a Day Care: The Devastating Consequences of Abandoning Truth” (Regnery).
He can be reached at epiper@dreverettpiper.com.
Copyright © 2025 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.
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It takes only a moment of time. ___________
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MAY 27 MEETING
WADE BURLESON REPLICATING THE FOUNDER'S TOAST |
Watch Wade here.
Watch the full meeting here.
Find our complete video library here.
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THE TOAST TO COMMEMORATE THE FOUNDER'S TOAST |
________________
DR KEVIN CROW INTERVIEWS THE GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES |
Watch Interview here.
Watch the full meeting here.
Find our complete video library here.
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OKLAHOMA STATE TREASURER TODD RUSS GIVES REPORT |
Watch Interview here.
Watch the full meeting here.
Find our complete video library here.
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TY ENGLAND LEADS IN SINGING GOD BLESS AMERICA |
TY CLOSES MEETING LEADING US IN THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE |
MAY 13, 2026 MEETING:
CANADIAN LEADER
STOCKWELL DAY |
Watch Stockwell Day here.
Watch the full meeting here.
Find our complete video library here.
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Watch the panel here.
Watch the full meeting here.
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TY ENGLAND & GRACE REFORMED BAPTIST HOMESCHOOL SINGS GOD BLESS AMERICA |
Watch Ty & the Kids Sing here.
Watch the full meeting here.
Find our complete video library here. |
TY ENGLAND CLOSES THE MEETING WITH: THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE |
Watch Ty Sing here.
Watch the full meeting here.
Find our complete video library here. |
APRIL 1, 2026 MEETING: ALEX GRAY |
The international experience of Alex Gray is unmatched and his presentation illustrates his competence to speak on the most sensitive areas of national affairs.
Watch Alex's presentation here.
Watch the full meeting here.
Find our complete video library here.
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After watching this ten minute presentation, every Christian in Oklahoma should be furious about the lack of integrity of our school boards, our school superintendents and administrators and our legislative leadership.
Watch Karen's presentation here.
Find Take Back The Classroom here.
Watch the full meeting here.
Find our complete video library here. _________ |
NOTES FROM MARCH: TEENPACT |
THIRTY YOUTH Home Schoolers from Elgin, Oklahoma TPUSA Students |
Grace Reformed Baptist Church Homeschoolers from Elgin, Oklahoma led the Pledge of Allegiance |
KENDRA WESSON JOINS RYAN WALTERS AND TEACHER FREEDOM ALLIANCE |
Kendra Wesson is stepping aside from other responsibilities to work full time with Ryan Walters and the Teacher Freedom Alliance (TFA) with a goal of providing teachers a pro-America Christian environment within which to work.
Thus far, the effort has been massively successful as thousands of teachers are fleeing the pro-Marxist teacher unions including the National Teachers Association (NEA).
Watch Kendra's Announcement here.
Watch the full meeting here.
News media was there to cover the TFA announcement. |
DECEMBER 3 MEETING: SAMANTHA FULNECKY INTERVIEW With OCPAC Foundation President Bob Linn and Senator Shane Jett |
Watch Samantha Fulnecky interview here.
Note:
Senator Shane Jett was pointed in his query and his followup remarks.
Shane Jett's first question begins at: 9:38 mark. Shane's blistering salvo to the University begins at the 11:21 mark.
Watch the full meeting here.
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LEGISLATIVE COMMENDATION GABE WOOLEY |
GABE WOOLEY here
Full Meeting here |
WES LANE, PRESIDENT SALT & LIGHT LEADERSHIP TRAINING SALLT |
Wes Lane was the keynote speaker and once he finished, it was clear why he has had so much success challenging the church to step forward in boldness.
Watch Wes Lane's presentation here.
Watch the full meeting here. |
We anticipated the professionalism of Jen Nicole's voice, but her moving presentation of the Christmas season was breathtaking. She opened the meeting by leading us in "O Come All Ye Faithful" and brought tears to our eyes as she followed Wes Lane singing "O Holy Night."
Watch the presentation here.
Watch the full meeting here. |
TPUSA Students were in attendance Supporting Samantha |
SHANE JETT MESSAGE TO POLITICAL CLASS |
Senator Shane Jett here
Watch the full meeting here.
BOB LINN PRESIDENT OF OCPAC FOUNDATION |
I encourage each of you to support our mission.
To get started, we are suggesting:
The Century Club
To join, mail a cancelled check to:
OCPAC FOUNDATION P.O. Box 721212 Norman, OK 73070
Your $100 per month donation will help support the development of the Foundation’s work to widen our audience and outreach capabilities with quality meetings and enhanced educational video content.
Our beginning financial goals will allow us to secure the initial permanent staff positions necessary to the function of a foundation with ambitions to change the world. |
We are in desperate need of returning our nation and our state to Biblical foundations.
Thank you for your activism. |
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