First established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, Presidents Day now looks back on many decades of presidential history and celebrates all U.S. presidents—past and present.
Religion and culture expert, national radio host and author Dr. Alex McFarland hopes Americans will view the day as more than an end to a long weekend, but also as a time to reflect on where the nation has been—and where it is going.
McFarland says that our culture is certainly unique today, but not in a way that is often talked about. He wondered what America’s Founding Fathers would think of the nation on this Presidents Day.
“The 21st century is different from all other generations, in this regard: We are living in the first era of an international attempt to suppress moral knowledge,” McFarland said. “I refer to the widespread cultural abandonment of belief in ‘natural law.’ How do we know this is happening? The list is lengthy: the SCOTUS decision to redefine marriage; unisex changing rooms at public gyms; public schools forbidding children to say boy, girl, Mr., or Miss; social media giants censoring accounts that post messages affirming traditional values—these are but a few of the examples of a culture-wide abandonment of basic moral boundaries.
“In the classroom, through the media, in our entertainment and via rigidly enforced corporate policies, accommodation of clear moral truth is being squelched with unrelenting pressure. America’s founders and thought leaders throughout history often referred to our knowledge of right and wrong as ‘natural law,’” he added. “Phrases like ‘self-evident truth,’ ‘higher law’ or ‘the laws of nature and nature’s God’—these were terms used to describe the awareness of right or wrong known to all people. Knowledge of natural law speaks to both human life and human behavior. Natural law doesn’t mean that people always do what is right. But deep down, in our conscience, people really do know what’s right.”
McFarland, the author of 18 books with another on the way, is the creator of the successful Truth for a New Generation national and regional apologetics conferences, which aim to help students, parents, youth pastors and community members lift up this young generation, pray for them and empower them to stand strong in their faith. He was also recently named the National Student Movement Director for the National Day of Prayer.
To interview Dr. Alex McFarland, contact Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, or Jeff Tolson, ext. 108.
