A 4th of July Editor's Perspective by David Aikman

Photo by Aaron Burden

Americans all over the world are preparing to celebrate their national day of independence, the Fourth of July 2021, on the 245th anniversary of the declaration by the Continental Congress that the thirteen American colonies were no longer subordinate to the monarch of Britain, King George III.  

About this blessed day, John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail,

"I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.

You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. -- I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. -- Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not."

John Adams, second President of the United States. Lithograph courtesy of the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.

​Meanwhile, the Chinese Communist Party is making much of the 100 year anniversary since the Chinese Communist Party was founded in 1921. But the values projected by these two anniversaries could not be more different. The independence of the United States from Great Britain led to a tradition of political freedom all over the world. By contrast, The Chinese Communist Party created a resume in 1949, when it came to power, that crossed all personal and political freedom from then until today. Worse than that, CCP policies led to the deaths of millions of Chinese. By far the most murderous campaign was the Great Leap Forward, which began in 1958 and came to an end in 1962. Tens of millions of Chinese died of starvation and political repression when private farms were forcibly collectivized all over the country. When the deaths that occurred during the great leap are added to repression in political campaigns throughout the 1950s and 1960s some estimates rise to more than 100 million innocent civilians dying.

The Great Leap Forward produced a significant spike in the global number of deaths (1950–2017). Photo by GBD 2017 Mortality Collaborators - Lancet 2018

• The greatest difference between the American declaration and the Chinese Communist Party founding, is the attitude towards truth of the American government since 1776 and the Chinese government since 1949. But only in very rare moments during the decades of communist party control of China has there been honest acknowledgment of how much wickedness was done. Chinese politicians have steadfastly refused to acknowledge how many people might’ve died during the suppression of the Tiananmen Square Democracy Movement in 1989. It is probable that even if China ceases to be communist, no one will ever know for sure. But as an eyewitness to that event, I certainly saw how violent it was. I can to this day remember the sound of bullets being fired overhead by the Chinese army.

 

• The United States has itself certainly made its share of mistakes during the 245 years of existence. But the difference between China and the United States is that the US wants to find out the truth about its past whereas the CCP philosophy is to suppress all truths that contradict it's own boastful version and dishonest events. It wants to suppress the truth of what happened in it’s own country.

As long as the two global civilizations have completely different attitudes towards truth, it is important for Christians to remind the world that no civilization can be great if it refuses to recognize the truth of it’s own past. Repentance is necessary to make way for revival.