Episode 6 features Dr. Donald Livingston, founder of the Abbeville Institute and Professor Retired of Philosophy at Emory University. Livingston received his doctorate at Washington University in 1965, and has been a fellow for the National Endowment Independent Studies and the Institute of Advanced Studies in the humanities at the University of Edinborough. He has served on the editorial board of Hume Studies and Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture.
Livingston’s books include “Hume’s Philosophy of Common Life” and “Philosophical Melancholy and Delirium.” He contributed to and edited “Rethinking the American Union for the 21st Century” and is currently finishing up the book “Why Some Americans Need To Believe the War Was About Slavery and Why America is Again Coming Apart Today.”
It was a tremendous honor to interview Dr. Livingston, who is both a humble gentleman and a brilliant stalwart for truth. In our talk, he discusses Southern tradition, secession, the myth of equality, how the War wasn’t about slavery, faith, and much more. I pray you all will learn from Livingston, just as I always do.
Other books mentioned in the podcast include “North Over South: Northern Nationalism and American Identity in the Antebellum Era,” “Nullification and Secession In Modern Constitutional Thought,” and “Who Owns America?: A New Declaration of Independence.”
Comments
I particularly liked Dr. Livingston’s statement that the question is not why the South seceded, which they were legitimately empowered to do, but why did the North invade the South. Understand the answer to that question and it all becomes crystal-clear. Had the opportunity to enter into an email conversation with Dr. L coupled years ago. We had planned to meet in Abbeville, but, alas, last-minute scheduling issues arose. I really respect the guy and am a monthly supporter of the Institute. You always do a great job, whether it involves interviews or your stellar in-depth posts. Keep it up. We need you!!!!
Thank you so much for your kind words. I really need it these days. I actually almost gave up blogging the other day. Just couldn’t write one more word of truth in our land of lies. I felt defeated. I felt as if no one even cares about true justice, true oppression, true hate anymore. And while many, many (far too many as is evident by the current cultural-revolutionary tenor of things) are either brainwashed Bolsheviks or the enablers of their evil ideology, there is still a remnant, many of whom cannot speak truth in their corporate lives and at their churches and even within their personal spaces. It really is a totalitarian paradigm under which we normal folk must function. And it’s hard. God is it hard. I know you know because it is spiritually, mentally, and physically draining, and can even be economically dangerous and even deadly. But then my husband said that I must keep showing our children that speaking truth and standing against evil is the right thing to do, no matter the consequences, so prayers and encouragement are ALWAYS appreciated.
Your husband has given you great advice. Don’t give up!!! I love your spirit, energy and clarity. Please keep plugging along. Take breaks when needed. All the best.
https://media0.giphy.com/media/E4Y2AOLPfKzzq/giphy.gif
You,and your associates,think well of your Country,and your Section,and undertake to support it. That may be very well. However,trying to ” dialogue ” with the ” great unwashed ” , trying to engage in rational,factual introspection and discussion with the vast ” lumpen proletariat ” is quite doomed. Modern Americans have a maximum attention – span of 8 seconds,and regard any TV commercial as a profound and estimable truth. They can’t hear you. They won’t hear you. They don’t want to hear you. ” WHAT TIME DO THE TV CARTOONS COME ON,AND THEN THE FOOTBALL GAME ? ” . I myself find your site,and its contents,to be interesting and worthwhile. Therefore,as soon as I’ve finished writing this message,I shall transmit to you,via PayPal,a modest donation of USD $ 40.00,to assist you in your good works.
Thanks for the donation, sir! Always appreciated.
And yes, your words are true. I have come to the conclusion that I speak for a true minority, a group of people who have no voice in any section or within any system of society. It is for them that I write.
The North invaded for cotton, route of the Transcontinental RR and Tariffs, not to do Blacks any favors because the North wanted to be free of Blacks not free for Blacks.
Precisely.
Northern ruling class=NYC Union Club of Industrialists Vanderbilt, Dwight, Boot, Atkinson, Jay Gould, Astor and Edwin Stanton under Club President Samuel Barlow who eventually gained control of the Union Pacific RR.
I’m posting here because I’m not sure where else to 🙂 I’ll also admit that I’m struggling a bit. Your podcast discussions with Dr. Livingston and Mr. Rufus on Orthodox Christianity have piqued my interest and I’ve recently downloaded an Orthodox daily reading app if, nothing else, to see what it’s all about. I’m doing so because I’m not sure what’s happening in my current church.
For years it has been a racially diverse and predominantly conservative-minded place (anti-abortion, anti-same-sex marriage, Bible-preaching), but, I’m really concerned about where our pastor is going in response to recent events. He’s been the pastor since this church began, so, he’s not a newcomer by any means. I’m not sure what to make of his recent responses to the events in Minneapolis, though:
http://www.gospelrenewal.com/blog/
..although I believe he brings up some good points, I’m still a bit leery of where he’s going.
Last year, I called this pastor out after a sermon he gave on race where he started drawing comparisons between Northern and Southern ministers in the years leading up to the WBTS. I felt as if he painted the Southern ministers as racists while praising the activist Northern pastor s for in role in helping prohibit slavery in region known as the Northwest at that time. While it was true that slavery was prohibited from the get-go in those areas, several of those states, for decades, put laws in place to discourage black migration. They didn’t want slavery but they didn’t want free blacks in their back yards, either. Some of those states did not drop these laws until after the Civil War. I basically had grown really tired of Southerners catching all the Hell for the race issues that this country has.
He explained to me that was that the majority of southern Christian leaders before the Civil War supported racial slavery, which caused whole denominations to rupture into northern and southern varieties (I’m still not sure I’m buying that). He went on to say that the point he was trying to make was that the misuse of the Bible to support racial slavery in the south has been devastating to racial unity and relationships long after slavery ended. I bit my tongue and let it go, but, this episode still comes up in my brain whenever this pastor starts talking about race again. It’s also distressing to me that he’s a native Texan and not some Yankee transplant.
Anyway, long story short, I’m really worried that the church I’m a part of may be heading down a slippery path and would really appreciate some input on what I’m seeing / feeling. I’ve been on a roller-coaster these last couple of weeks, so, I want to make sure I’m not letting emotions or some other forces control my thinking.
Thanks!
BT, I am humbled and honored that you have reached out to me. Please listen to this newest podcast I did with Jon Harris. http://www.dissidentmama.net/dissident-mama-episode-7-jon-harris/
It speaks to much of what you are talking about and concerned with going on in the church. Your pastor writes of dealing with injustice within the system, but he’s missing the point: it is that the very system he enables and is encouraging. We have bent over backwards for black folks for 50 years, poured money into programs for housing, education, business loans, home mortgage loans, Medicaid, EBT, WIC, and other subsidies. Of course, my white sons must give even more through losing out on opportunity via black scholarships, affirmative action in hiring, racial quotas in education and media and as far as the eye can see. Yet, there have been no social advancements for anyone; instead, our “help” has created more strife within the “black community” and has put whites at a huge disadvantage, while also fostering the racial divide and increasing hostility. The government manufactures this shit and caters to the violent rioters, and then pastors and priests still tell us WE have work to do. It’s lunacy. And as you know, it will never, ever, ever be enough. This isn’t about true justice, otherwise the mob wouldn’t be calling for my sons’ slavery. It’s about power. And sorry to say this, but if your pastor doesn’t get that, he’s part of the problem. Your spidey senses were right when you were concerned over his lazy sermon using the South as a whipping boy – wow, that’s new. I’ve never heard that before. Ugh. It’s so damn tiring and tedious. But it does bring up a great point: that you can’t have good theology if you have bad history. I’m currently blogging about that very topic, so keep your eye out for that.
I love Orthodoxy and do believe firmly that is the one truth Christian faith. This doesn’t mean I don’t care for my Protestant and Catholic friends, it just is what it is. My belief. My faith. My Church’s dogma. However, their is a disturbing amount of cucking even within American Orthodoxy, and “American” being the operative word. The only US priests I know saying publicly and privately that the anti-white Bolshevik narrative is bullshit are in ROCOR (the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia). I’m sure there are a handful in the other jurisdictions (well, other than the Greeks who’ve been leftist for a long time) who have the balls to stand up for truth and against the hate, but they are few and far between. You can use this link to see if there’s a parish in your neck of the woods. http://directory.stinnocentpress.com/index.cgi
Warning: some of these parishes may not be in English or may only do part of the service in English. I know, that sucks and I pray that will change soon. But the priests will be multilingual and can help guide you, answers questions, hear your concerns, etc. Father John Whiteford is one of the ROCOR priests who is doing God’s work, which is making him enemies. If you live anywhere near Spring, Texas, his parish would definitely be a spiritual safe space for you. Here’s his most recent homily. I know it will speak to you and be a balm to your soul, as it was mine. https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/amvon/an_orthodox_mind
In closing, it’s hostile out there. America is simply not a place ripe for Christianity because it’s Christians are just too weak and neoliberal, too steeped in the civic religions of the West, so please be careful and cautious. If you give me your first name (you may have already at one point, but I’m old and forgetful), I will pray for you. May God, the author of past, present, and future, bless you and yours. 🙂
Thank you so much! I listened to your podcast today during my lunch break and took quite a few notes. I may have to listen to it one more time to make sure I didn’t miss anything 🙂 I had subscribed to Jon’s podcast in the past, but, wasn’t able to keep up with it like I had intended. I’m probably going to re-subscribe in light of recent events. It’s spooky how you also had a similar experience at a church where things seemed awesome at first, only to discover otherwise. Thanks, also, for the references for local churches and for Father Whiteford’s website. Spring, TX is a couple of hours away from me, but, I found a small congregation in Pflugerville (about 15 miles down the road). Just as you said, though, language might be an issue (bummer). There is, however, a sizable Antiochian (sp?) church in the area…if you have any thoughts on that branch of Orthodoxy, please let me know. Thank you also for the prayers. My first name is Howard and, yes, I’m the one that communicated with you on the craziness in Raymond, MS about a year ago via your other communication channels. Please pray for wisdom and discernment for me…that I listen for God’s voice in all of this. I’m also asking for prayers for strength boldness at the right time, and that I can be the spiritual leader in my home that God expects me to be. Conflict is normally not my thing, but, I’m starting to realize that I can’t be passive for much longer. Thank you, again, for your help and for all that you do!
Not a problem at all. The Antiochian are pretty good and probably a better bet than the OCA (the Orthodox Church in America) and definitely the Greek church. Just visit that parish when you can, and if every homily is about “racial injustice” and how “white people got work to do,” run for the damn hills. Hell, save yourself the trouble and just visit the parish website. Whatever is their “statement” regarding the riots will tell you everything you need to know. If your intuitive spidey senses tingle, you know to avoid them. The statement from the Antiochian Metropolitan is okay. Pretty limp-wristed and way too careful for my tastes, but certainly not the worst I’ve seen. Judge for yourself. But the statement from ROCOR is waaaaaaaay better. Good luck and God bless!
https://www.antiochian.org/regulararticle/676
https://chicagodiocese.org/news_200605_1