Independence Day

In the movie Independence Day, Will Smith kills a bunch of aliens who attack the United States with giant killer UFOs. There are quite a few good one-liners and some awesome action sequences, but no one remembers any of those; they only remember the scene where the White House is blown to smithereens, and if they're old enough, they remember how everyone in the theater cheered at that moment.

That's the kind of independence most people are after these days—freedom from law, not freedom under law. What they seem to forget is that the Founding Fathers weren't a bunch of anarchists who simply wanted to do whatever they wanted without England butting in. The Founding Fathers only wanted England to treat the U.S. equitably as part of the British monarchy.

When England essentially refused to do so, the American Patriots decided to take matters into their own hands. Yes, there were other prominent motives for throwing off the yoke of English rule, most of them economic, but ideologically the Revolution was fuelled by a desire for a national government that was answerable to the people and inherently limited in scope and sovereignty.

Over the years, the United States have drifted away from the initial ideals of men like Madison, Jefferson and Adams. That doesn't mean we don't enjoy basically the same model of government they set up, and it certainly doesn't mean that we've lost any significant amount of liberties. We remain a checked-and-balanced nation that values freedom and responsibility, and we celebrate it every July 4th.

Sure, we still remember the formation of our country, the signing of the Declaration of Independence and all that. But nearly two and a half centuries later, the celebration of Independence Day is less about the origins of our nation than it is about its continuing commitment to liberty, freedom of conscience, and justice at home and around the world.

None of us at Exodus Books are flag-waving fanatics, nor do we support everything the U.S. does or stands for. Wars on foreign soil may or may not be justified, and as a nation we've certainly turned from biblical morality toward reprobate license. At the same time, the fact that we can worship Christ on Sunday without fear, preach His name to others, and still vote when the time comes is reason enough to light off some fireworks and eat fried chicken at the beginning of each summer.

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13 Colonies: Georgia
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Abigail Adams Package (FACE)
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Adventures of the American Revolution
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Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider
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America's Paul Revere
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American History Stories Volume 2
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American Revolution
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Revolution!
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Amos Fortune, Free Man
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Heroes of History
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Leaders of the American Revolution
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Childhood of Famous Americans
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1992 Odyssey Classics edition from Clarion Books
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Black Man in America
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1956 Newbery Medal winner
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Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
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Concise Illustrated History of the American Revolution
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Crispus Attucks: Black Leader of Colonial Patriots
Childhood of Famous Americans
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70th anniversary from Purple House Press
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Early American History for Intermediate Grades - Guide
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American History Series
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Fight for Freedom
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Francis Asbury
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My American Journey
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From Colonies to Country with George Washington - Set
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General Washington's Army
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George vs. George
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Childhood of Famous Americans / History's All-Stars
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George Washington You Never Knew
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George Washington: Our First Leader
Childhood of Famous Americans
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Guns for General Washington
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Haym Salomon: Liberty's Son
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Dover Coloring Books
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Heroines of the American Revolution
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History of US Book 3
History of US Book 3
by Joy Hakim
3rd Revised Edition from Oxford University
American History Reference for 5th-9th grade
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Interactive Notebook: The American Revolution
American History Series
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Sterling Point Books
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Men of Faith
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Johnny Tremain
by Esther Forbes
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Historical Fiction/Adventure for 5th-9th grade
1944 Newbery Medal winner
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Johnny Tremain
by Esther Forbes
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1944 Newbery Medal winner
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Journeyman
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Justin Morgan Had a Horse
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1946 Newbery Honor Book
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King George: What Was His Problem?
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King George: What Was His Problem?
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2015th edition from Square Fish Publishing
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Kings Mountain
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Lafayette!
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #8
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Liberty or Death
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Life of Washington
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Meet George Washington
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Meet Thomas Jefferson
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Molly Pitcher: Young Patriot
Childhood of Famous Americans
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My Brother Sam Is Dead
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1975 Newbery Honor Book
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My Brother Sam Is Dead
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1975 Newbery Honor Book
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Noah Webster: Father of the American Dictionary
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One Dead Spy
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #1
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Paul Revere's Ride
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American Poetry for 2nd-6th grade
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Paul Revere's Ride
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, illustrated by Ted Rand
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Paul Revere: Boston Patriot
Childhood of Famous Americans
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Phoebe and the General
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Phoebe the Spy
by Judith Berry Griffin
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Picture the Past: American Revolution - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
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Poor Richard
by James Daugherty
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Biography for 6th-9th grade
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Profiles of Integrity #1: 1775-1781
by Marilyn Boyer and Grace Tumas Ehrman
from Master Books
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$9.34
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