PEA RIDGE — Benton County has a very large and active Tea Party organization. If you are interested in connecting with them then this Saturday, Sept. 12, should be an excellent opportunity to do so. I plan to be there myself towards evening, and am on tap to give a short speech to the folks present. The Benton County Tea Party will be the special guests at an Old Time Camp meeting hosted by the Bella Vista Patriots. The event will be from 5 -8 p.m. on the campus of Ambassador's for Christ Academy on County Road 40 in Bella Vista. They will serve hamburgers, hot dogs, and all the fixings. Bring your own lawn chairs. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children.
Here is part of an announcement about the event from Benton County Tea Party Chairman Kirk Hartness: "The Benton County Tea Party has been invited to participate in an old American tradition known as the Camp Meeting. These historically have been week long or longer celebrations attended by folks coming from hundreds of miles around. People would literally camp out and enjoy an extended period of preaching, singing, eating, political speeches and enjoying fellowship. The Camp Meeting on the enclosed flier is not a week long but only three hours or so. However, it should be a great opportunity to gain a hint of the flavor of these meetings from times past."
The Benton County Tea Party has been asked to participate by adding to the religious/political flavor that characterized camp meetings of the past. Because of heavy bias in the media and contemporary education, many today are not aware of the vital role Christianity played in the formation of our country. The heavy emphasis on separation of church and state ignores the fact that the Revolutionary War was literally fought in the pulpits of America's churches. Much of the structure of our government was actually based on the teachings of the Bible as well as the works of great Christians such as John Calvin, John Locke and Sir William Blackstone, the great English jurist.
While Americans have historically been diverse in terms of denominational affiliations, we have usually been united by a common faith in God and His benevolent grace in allowing our founding Fathers to form what has become the greatest nation the world has ever seen. G.K. Chesterton said that America is "the only nation founded on a creed."
He also referred to America as "a nation with the soul of a church."
John Adams said, "Our form of government was established for a religious people. It will suffice for no other."
We of the Benton County Tea Party Committee hope you will add this damp meeting to the list of events you are considering attending. People of diverse religious backgrounds can still come together to learn and to appreciate the role that Christianity played in giving all of us the right to worship freely. We look forward to participating and to meeting many of you there as well. Please bring your family and friends for a few hours of celebrating our rich religious heritage on Sept. 12 in Bella Vista.
There is more than one way to get there from here, but this is the route I plan to take: From Pea Ridge, just head down Arkansas Highway 72 toward Bentonville until you get to Price Coffee Road. Take a right and stay on the road until it ends. Next, turn right on what ought to be Ford Springs Road. Take that road until it intersects with McNeily Road (County Road 40) in Bella Vista.
Opinion, Pages 4 on 09/09/2009