Following is the address by Lt. Col. Bill Connor to Orangeburg Christian Academy graduates Friday night. Connor, who has written frequently for The Times and Democrat, recently returned from a tour in Afghanistan’s southern region.

One of my all time heroes, Sir Winston Churchill (who stood alone against the forces of darkness under Hitler during WWII), spoke to a group of graduating students late in his life and gave them the following words of wisdom: Never, never, never, never, quit. As I know your minds are rightfully preoccupied with other matters (like enjoying your summer if you are anything like I was over 22 years ago!), I would ask that if you remember only one thing it is Winston Churchill’s quote tied to one important verse from the book of Proverbs: “The fear of god is the beginning of wisdom.”

Why do I tie the two together? First, because the most important thing you will take from your education at OCA is a biblical world view founded upon God’s word as the foundation of all true wisdom. Also, as you move forward in your life of learning and growing, you will encounter many, many who will encourage you to diverge from the biblical world view. You must be strong and as Winston Churchill admonished, “never quit.”

Interestingly, though many “secular” educators would argue that the biblical world view is, in some way, “counter” to “education, they argue that those who do not blindly follow concepts like strict Darwinism (“randomness is the answer to all creation”) are somehow deficient. History proves a far different truth.

First, the founding purpose of all the famous universities in the western world (Oxford is a great example) was to the student of theology and development of clergy.

Even today, the robes worn at graduation ceremonies and the “hoods” signifying the level of academic achievement (like the hood I received upon earning my juris doctorate) are historically connected to clerical garb and the distinctions among clergy.

Those who have earned the distinction of “Ph.D.” earn a “doctor of philosopy.” The Latin term philosophy means “love of wisdom.” The meaning of wisdom at the development of the Ph.D., is not mere accumulation of facts, but biblical understanding.

All of historic Ivy League universities in America, like Harvard, Yale and Princeton, were founded with the primary purpose of training the next generation of pastors to teach the word of God.

Arguably, the true start point of the ideal of universal education in the West was historically tied to the Protestant reformation. Martin Luther’s ideal was that every person should be educated to be able to read the Bible and have understanding.

In instituting public education in America in 1787, Congress wrote: “Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall be forever encouraged.”

What was the historic importance of the commitment to a biblical world view in American education?

Listen to what famed Harvard professor Samuel Huntington wrote in his 2004 scholarly book “Who Are We?”: “The views of the framers of the Constitution that the republican government they were creating could survive only among a people imbued with religion and morality have been endorsed and repeated by subsequent generations of American leaders. Our institutions “presuppose a supreme being.” As Justice William O. Douglas put it, and President Eisenhower similarly declared, “recognition of the supreme being is first. No American form of government, nor American way of life can exist without it.” To deny God is to challenge the fundamental principle underlying American society and government.”

Now listen to our founders’ direct words on the subject:

George Washington: “Do not indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.”

John Adams: “The bible offers the only system that ever did or ever will preserve the republic in the world ... our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

And what did outside observers write of the state of America under biblical education?

Alec de Tocqueville from the 1830s wrote: “On my arrival to the United States, the religious aspect of this country was the first thing that struck my attention, and the longer I stayed there, the more I perceived the great political consequences resulting from this new state of things.” He also wrote:

“There is no country in the world where the Christian religion retains greater influence over the souls of men than in America.”

In modern times, British historian Paul Johnson wrote: “America is a God-fearing country, with all that implies ... (American religious commitment) is a primary source -- the primary source i think -- of American exceptionalism.”

God warned us that due to human sin, many in each generation would attempt to turn us away from the foundation of all true knowledge. He also warns of the results of turning away from the biblical world view in education.

Proverbs 1:29: “ Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, would have none of my counsel and despised my reproof, therefore, they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices ... The complacency of fools destroys them.”

Listen to the word of Jesus Christ after his “sermon on the mount” warning those who would turn away from his word: “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Note that god does not say immediate destruction will come to those turning from his word and the biblical world view. Some may appear to succeed for many, many years. However, eventually the storms of life will bring the great fall.

When we survey the results in American society over about the past 50 years, years of slowly turning from the biblical world view in education (school prayer and Bible reading were declared unconstitutional in the early 1960s), the explosion of crime, the explosion of divorce, the explosion of single parenthood, the seeming disintegration of the traditional American family, etc. etc. etc., I believe most Americans realize we are reaping the results of this turning away.

Interestingly, with the various scientific discoveries over the past 50-60 years, particularly knowledge of cellular complexity, it becomes virtually impossible for any thinking person to believe “randomness” of strict Darwinism explains life. Some die-hard atheist scientists are clinging to it, but they are swimming against an unbiased reading of the scientific evidence. Their only method of argument has become denigration of those with whom they disagree. The reality is that these scientists have become ideologically biased against God’s truth through scientific evidence.

This is a very exciting time to be a Christian. I believe most Americans know something is terribly wrong with our current system of education. They are looking for leaders who will not quit their biblical world view but will hold to the truth. In shear insecurity, they may attempt to denigrate those holding a biblical world view. However, keep in mind that the “lashing out” shows the hollowness of their own arguments. They cannot help but see God’s glory and truth through your life.

As Jesus tells us, it will be during the storms in life when others will look to you for the anchor they so desperately need.

I end with the words of the Apostle Paul shortly before his execution. He gives us the perfect example of someone who never, never, never, never, quit loving God and following God’s word: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is layed up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his apprearing.”

God’s speed.

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