Chaplain Len Patterson - Army of Trans-Mississippi
Ancient Landmarks
There are those who seem to always follow the path of, "Out with the old and in with the new." Of course there are times when updating is important. Few of us would want to do without air conditioning, television, our personal computer, or something as simple as fitted sheets and coffee pots that start brewing ten minutes before the alarm goes off in the morning. But, there are also many things that do not need to be changed. An evangelist preaching in a church I was pastoring some years ago, stated, "If it's new, it can't be true." That statement may not apply to everything, but it does apply. Out with the old, and in with the new is not always a good idea, and in many circumstances, leads to destruction.
The Scripture says, "Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set." (Prov: 22: 28) Obviously, the landmarks referred to in these writings (and gatherings) of Solomon about three thousand years ago, are not the same today. For example: The Bible, and especially the New Testament, written by our Christian Fathers under the inspiration of God, does not need to be changed (except for translations) amended, updated, and certainly not removed. But it has been. The Bible has been removed from our schools, courts and public assemblies, and the result has lead to chaos, destruction, and even death. Prayer has also been removed along with the Cross, Nativity scenes and anything else that represents the "Faith of our fathers." What can we, as a people, expect when we remove these ancient landmarks which our fathers have set.
Not only has the faith of our fathers been removed, but so has their morality and sense of decency. I won't belabor this point or we'll be here all day. However, I will mention the recent Miss America Pageant. How can America expect God's blessing when a young woman loses her chance to be crowned because she states that a marriage should be between a man and a woman, and the openly homosexual judge who asked the question didn't like it. Well, imagine that. I doubt our fathers would believe such an thing even possible. The ancient landmark of morality and decency set by our fathers has been removed. Far removed.
As members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, we also have ancient landmarks set by our fathers that must not be removed. Our Confederate forefathers set and example of courage and determination in the face of a destructive and unwarranted invasion, which we are to preserve, uphold and emmulate. It is their name, their flag, their monuments, and their honor which is under attack today. This is the legacy, this is the responsibility, this is the honor they passed on to us, and it's up to us to insure that these ancient landmarks are preserved and never removed.
May God grant to the Sons of Confederate Veterans the strength, unity of purpose, spiritual guidance, and faith, to protect and preserve the ancient landmarks set by our fathers. Amen.
Bro. Len Patterson, Th.D.;
Army of Trans-Mississippi Chaplain