Entertaining Ways To Study The Constitution And Declaration: Today, we are having Brad Stine on today”€™s program. He”€™s known as, “€œGod’s comic.”€ Brad is hilarious. He makes it really fun to study the founding documents and to become a good citizen. Tune in now to today”€™s program, you”€™ll laugh and learn at the same time.

Air Date: 05/01/2019

Guest: Brad Stine

On-air Personalities: David Barton, Rick Green, and Tim Barton

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Transcription note:  As a courtesy for our listeners’ enjoyment, we are providing a transcription of this podcast. Transcription will be released shortly. However, as this is transcribed from a live talk show, words and sentence structure were not altered to fit grammatical, written norms in order to preserve the integrity of the actual dialogue between the speakers. Additionally, names may be misspelled or we might use an asterisk to indicate a missing word because of the difficulty in understanding the speaker at times. We apologize in advance.

 

Faith And The Culture

Rick:

Welcome to the intersection of faith and the culture. This is WallBuilders Live! Where we”€™re talking about today”€™s hottest topics on policy, faith, and the culture, always doing that from a Biblical, historical, and Constitutional perspective.

Normally, David Barton is with us. He’s America’s premier historian and our founder here at WallBuilders. But today we got special guest, Brad Stine, coming on for the whole program. So we’re gonna miss David today.

By the way, if you’re not familiar with us and WallBuilders, what that comes from is a scripture out of Nehemiah that says, “€œArise and rebuild the walls, that we may no longer be at reproach.”€

David formed WallBuilders for the very purpose of rebuilding the foundations in America, to remind America where we came from and what we’ve been about, and what the foundational principles are that made America the greatest nation in history.

David has the largest private collection of Founding Fathers documents in the world. So when we quote the Founding Fathers on this program, we’re going back to original resources, original documents of what they actually said, what they actually did, to put in place the principles that produced the most powerful, the wealthiest, the most benevolent nation in the history of the world.

That”€™s WHat It”€™s All About

So that’s what WallBuilders is all about, rebuilding those foundations that made America so great in the first place. So go to WallBuilders.com to find out more. You get all kinds of great materials that will equip and inspire you and your family to be better citizens, to simply live out your freedom, and do your part to preserve it for future generations.

Then you can also visit WallBuildersLive.com, our radio website. That’s where you get a list of our stations and get archives of the program, and most importantly you can hit that donate button. When you hit that donate button, you’re coming alongside us and you’re becoming a part of the solution. You’re helping us to rebuild those foundations. You’re helping us to get these programs in as many hands as possible so that people can get the solution and they can get that biblical, constitutional, and historical perspective on all of the issues that we’re facing today, bring those solutions to light, and implement them.

So be sure and click on the donate button and give whatever you can. It might be a one time donation. It might be a monthly donation. Maybe you just give up a cup of coffee a month to do that, or maybe you can make a thousand dollar contribution a month, whatever for you make sense, whatever—when you pray about it, that is something that God wants you to invest in. We hope that you will do that today.

Constitution and Comedy With Constitutional Defense

Now, speaking of solutions, my name is Rick Green. I’m a former Texas legislator, and thrilled to come alongside David and Tim Barton and be their host here on the program.

Today we’re going to talk about a program that I do with Brad Stine, and we do something called the Comedy and Constitution. It’s a chance to laugh and learn at the same time. Brad is hilarious. He’s known as God’s Comic. He makes it really fun to study the founding documents and to become a good citizen.

I’m gonna have Brad on when we come back from the break, because we’re doing something we’ve never done before. We’re combining Comedy and Constitution with another program that we do called Constitutional Defense, which is where we study the Constitution and learn how to defend ourselves with a handgun at the same time. So, learning how to defend your family, and actually not only have a handgun license, but actually carry that handgun, so that you can defend yourself and your family.

That’s what we’re going to be talking about today. A special program is going to happen June 3rd and 4th out at Front Site in Pahrump, Nevada. So stay with us. We’ll be right back after the break. You get to laugh and learn with comedian Brad Stine right here on WallBuilders Live.

Share a veteran’s story

We Want To Hear Your Vet Story

Rick:

Hey friends! If you have been listening to WallBuilders Live for very long at all, how much we respect our veterans and how appreciative we are of the sacrifice they make to make our freedoms possible. One of the ways that we love to honor those veterans is to tell their stories here on WallBuilders Live. Once in awhile, we get an opportunity to interview veterans that have served on those front lines that have made incredible sacrifices have amazing stories that we want to share with the American people.

One of the very special things we get to do is interview World War II veterans. You’ve heard those interviews here on WallBuilders Live, from folks that were in the Band of Brothers, to folks like Edgar Harrell that survived the Indianapolis to so many other great stories you heard on WallBuilders Live.

You have friends and family that also served. If you have World War II veterans in your family that you would like to have their story shared here on WallBuilders Live, please e-mail us at [email protected]. Give us a brief summary of the story and we’ll set up an interview. Thanks so much for sharing here on WallBuilders Live!

Welcome Brad Stine

Rick:

Welcome back on WallBuilders Live. Thanks for staying with us! Brad Stine, God’s Comic, and my partner in Comedy and Constitution events across the country is back. Brad, always good to have you, brother.

Brad:

It’s good to be here. I heard you just got back from Peru, so hopefully you have found your oxygen and you can breathe again. I went to Ecuador, and I was unconscious for three days. So it’s really a beautiful part of the country, but man, it’s high. I don’t know if you had the same experience.

Rick:

Well, I blame you. I took the family because of you. You’re the one that got us excited about Compassion International, and helping these kids in these communities across the world. So it was phenomenal we had a great time and just saw God’s work and the New Testament church at work in a way that I’ve never seen. It was just incredible. So thank you. I blame you, but I thank you.

I also blame you because I’m gonna be out in the heat a month from now with you shooting guns, and studying the Constitution, and laughing at all of your jokes.

So I’m expecting—

Brad:

And ironically, if we didn’t have a gun, we wouldn’t have a Constitution to study. So I think it’s a perfect segway—

Rick:

Then you wouldn’t have the chance to tell your jokes.

Brad:

Amen! I could tell them, but then I would be imprisoned.

Rick:

So would you tell them in prison, maybe?

Fun at Front Site

We’re doing something we’ve never done before. We’ve done this Comedy Constitution thing around the country for several years now. Now we’re actually going to combine what I’ve been doing, which is the Constitutional Defense program, where we bring people in from around the nation to learn how to defend their families, not just shoot and blow stuff up. It’s literally learning how to defend your family should a bad situation arise.

Then, at the same time, teaching the Constitution. We’re actually going to combine that with the Comedy Constitution because you’re going with us—going with the Green family—out to Front Sight, and you’re going to learn how to defend your family. So you’ll be shooting on the range, then in the evening we’re going to do a Comedy Constitution.

Brad:

Yeah, I know, it’s gonna be one of a kind. As usual, I always have been a big believer in defending your family, of course, and having the sovereignty of your home.

But unfortunately, I was only using a shovel for many of my years to try to defend, and I’ve realized, “€œI think a Glock might be a better investment.”€

I invested in one.

But here’s the thing—and I think it’s important for listeners to think this through—is that, yeah, take the First Amendment seriously, yes, take the Second Amendment seriously, yes, of course, freedom and liberties, unfortunately, can be taken if you don’t defend it.

Nobody Wants War

Nobody wants war. Nobody wants to have to ever shoot another human being. Of course that’s horrible, but evil happens and tyrants exist. Sometimes there is no other option. If you’re going to stand for the Second Amendment with such radical Americans who are against a gun possession, let alone self-defense, I think it’s important for us to be the best citizens, not only to defend ourselves and what we believe in, and stand for that, but to do it well. That means educate yourself. Train yourself, because it is a deadly weapon. You need to take it serious.

I really appreciate that you guys have had a wonderful relationship with them, and that you’re bringing me in to that. I want to be much more proficient and especially so it just gives you a confidence that you just don’t have without somebody really walking you through it, because it is such a precarious situation. If you ever were in a place where somebody could be threatening you or your family, you’re going to be scared to be sitting or going, “€œYou gotta be kidding me.”€

I’m excited and I look forward to it. You’ve been through it many times, and you probably can do it blindfolded, but for me it”€™ll be a first.

Ten Years of Refusing to Carry a Gun

Rick:

It’s gonna be fun to watch you go do exactly what we did as a family. I have to admit, I had my handgun license—I’m a Texan—but for ten years I didn’t carry, because I was worried about what would happen when it accidentally goes off, or would I actually be willing to press the trigger in a situation, and take a life in order to defend a life? All those things were bouncing around in my head, and it kept me from actually carrying the weapon even though I was licensed, and passed the tests, and all that stuff, for literally ten years.

Then I go into Front Sight, and it changed all that because they take you through step by step, over the course of those several days, you learn the safety, you learn everything about the gun so you understand it, you’re put in the situation, you literally go through simulation houses. Then, after you’ve learned the weaponry and the skill of using it, you also—one of the things I think you’re going to really enjoy, and I’ll probably be sitting around talking about a lot—is just the talking it through, and making the mental decision, and thinking through, on the one hand, the biblical right of self-defense.

Is this the Christian thing to do?

Then, secondly, is it the legal right?

Thinking about, “€œHow bad does this situation have to be for me to do this and why?”€

I just think it’s really cool that they take you through all of that, not just the physical, but also the the mental, and for us it’s a spiritual thing is as well. So I’m really excited to watch you go through it.

The Holy Flak Jacket

We’ll be able to do that together and then to be able to have that night, the opportunity for those folks that are going with us. We typically take 50 to 100 people with us, and so for people who are interested, go to RickGreen.com right now, today, and find out how to sign up. You still got time, you can sign up and go with us. If you make a donation at WallBuildersLive.com then you don’t have to pay for the class to go, which is really unusual. The two day class is actually a one thousand dollar class. If you go to FrontSite.com right now, it’s a thousand bucks to sign up.

If you make a little contribution to WallBuilders Live of only ninety nine dollars, you get to go with Brad and me for free in June. It’s June 3rd and 4th, the two day class you get to go with us for free.

So that means you’re gonna be trained for the day, and then get to hear Brad at night, and myself, we”€™ll be doing Comedy Constitution. It’s gonna be funny, it’s gonna be entertaining. There will be music. It’s gonna be awesome. It”€™s gonna be a really good experience, both during the day and in the evening. I’m looking forward to it.

Brad:

I am going to bring my holy flak jacket. So I think that’s crucial. I think—

Rick:

How many holes are in it though?

Brad:

Well, based on, if you remember the George Washington episode from Chasing American Legends, I think it was about 57, if I recall correctly.

Rick:

Yeah.

Brad:

Of which I’m still healing from. For those of you who are listening that didn’t see that, I don’t know if that’s a downloadable”€¦?

Chasing American Legends

Rick:

Yeah. At WallBuilders.com, right now, you can get Chasing American Legends and get to see Brad Stine shot many times with our paintball musket guns.

Brad:

With much glee from the Green family, which I found to be quite disturbing.

Rick:

The best part was when Kara, she just could not get over laughing at your grunting every time you took a shot from us.

And for our listeners who have no idea what we’re talking about, the George Washington story is the—of course David Barton’s got this great audio book with Dean Jones who was the guy from The Love Bug. He actually narrates this awesome story of Washington, at twenty three years old, in the battle Monongahela. A horse is shot from under him, bullet holes in his jacket, every other officer is killed or shot down except him. It’s a miraculous story.

Brad, you’re the one who came up with the idea in our episode, saying, “€œOK, look, the guy’s saying he’s a hero but was he really? Did it really happen?”€

Brad:

And yes. And much to my chagrin, you took me up on that. That’s another valuable lesson, if you ever come across the Green family, don’t challenge them to anything, especially when it comes to firearms and you being the victim. Because I, unfortunately, paid the price.

History Not a Myth

I think that’s what you and I have tried to do. We”€™re American citizens. We came from different parts of the country. We became friends because we had something in common about our beliefs, or ideology, our philosophy, certainly our faith. I really believe that the truth is, we are in the season in America unlike any that I ever remember, and I often wonder, and I don’t know if it’s been all over dramatic, you might be a little bit more aware of that than me. There have been times, moments in American history, that brought us to war, Revolutionary War, Civil War, where it was brother against brother where it was a citizen against citizen.

I would hate to think we would ever have to address that again. But I just realized the the heavy reality of American history, that it’s not mythology, that it’s not a legend, it’s reality.

Real people like you and I said, “€œWhat are you willing to do for freedom?”€

And it feels odd, if you have lived in such safety, if you’ve lived in relative calm, and if there was wars it was overseas, or wasn’t something that we had to hunker down in our own homes while bullets were flying.

But that happened in the Civil War, where people’s homes were caught on fire, and bullets were shot.

So it’s real. It’s sad, but it’s real that you have to defend freedom, because guaranteed throughout history, if you don’t, somebody will take it. That’s how it works. Somebody will try to control you.

American Ideals

So I love the idea that we are learning to defend our families, defend our faith, and I think, as Christians, like you said, that’s an important investment.

How does God—the God we believe in—view our ability to defend? What is just and what is unjust war? Who are we supposed to watch over? When is lethal force—and of course that existed, throughout the Old Testament specifically, there was war over God’s—what He expected from His people the Israelites. So these are important issues. And hopefully there can be some humorous explorations of this, but maybe it’ll inspire more of the listeners to get involved with how to protect themselves.

I think this is a very American idea, and it needs to never be forgotten and to be revisited perhaps by some of the younger generation.

Rick:

Yeah. And it’s on both fronts that you were just talking about, one is just being willing to defend the Constitution by speaking out, by using the First Amendment and getting educated about it, and then on the other it the practical reality. There are 1.2 million violent crimes a year in America.

We always think, “€œIt won’t happen to us. It won’t happen in our neighborhoods.”€

But it is happening in our neighborhoods, and it could happen to us. I love that the founders were pretty blatant on this kind of stuff.

Here’s John Adams, he said, “€œResistance to sudden violence for the preservation, not only of my person, my limbs, and life, but on my property is an indisputable right of nature which I never surrendered to the public by the compact of society, and which, perhaps, I could not surrender if I would.”€

Christianity Backs it Up

He said, “€œThe maxims of the law and the precepts of Christianity are precisely coincident in relation to this matter.”€

In other words: you’ve got a right to defend yourself, your family, and your property, and and no law can take that away from you, and Christianity backs that up.

Alexander Hamilton, everybody”€™s all about Hamilton now with the play, he said, “€œThe Supreme Being gave existence to man, together with the means of preserving that existence. He invested man with an inviolable right to personal liberty and personal safety.”€

And actually James Wilson said, “€œIf you get robbed in your home, it’s your own fault. You’ve got to be ready to defend yourself.”€

So that’s why we do this. It’s a vitally important thing to do, and it’s fun to actually do it this way.

Brad:

The biggest thing though that I take from the Founding Fathers whenever we discuss these ideas, is how stupid they make the rest of us look.

I think I’m clever, I write a clever line, this was pretty funny.

“€œOh, you’re such an insightful guy.”€

And then you listen to these guys, and you’re like, “€œI”€™m an idiot compared to these people.”€

The insight, the depth of how they viewed the culture, what government would be, what a country would mean.

Making Learning Fun

They created a country! That’s a big deal! That’s not easy! I can barely make toast. So I know that what they left to us is sacred and beautiful, and I believe God breathed. Never been a country like this, never probably will ever be again.

And it’s on the precipice of being lost, freedoms and liberties, and our young grandchildren are not going to know what freedom meant if we let this go without a fight, and shame on us. Now it’s our turn to defend ourselves, and like you said, starting with ideas, starting with our verbal communication.

Rick:

Just knowing it and understanding it.

What I love about when we get together, Brad, is making it fun. I try to make my Constitution classes fun, and I hope they are, but when you come into the mix, first of all my kids have more fun, and they love doing these events, but the audience loves it, and I think God’s given us a really cool mix here. You’re not just a comedian.

You intellectually understand these things and it’s personal, that losing the First Amendment, and losing these things that we care so much about, it’s personal to you, and you’re passionate about it. You understand the sacrifice people paid to get us here.

Brad:

Nothing can be more perfectly suited for a comedian whose entire livelihood and influence, if he has any, are with words. Well, that’s what’s under attack if the person is gonna lose their ability and freedom to speak words and ideas that are different than somebody else’s.

If Your Ideas Can”€™t Withstand Scrutiny, They”€™re Not Good Ideas

We need to not lose that. Yeah, we do have fun, but I think comedy is a great way to circumvent your filters. Everybody has a presupposition as to how they see the world, and sometimes we created such a conflict in America that if I hear something, or you hear something, that goes against what you believe, you really shut it off. You shut it down, you don’t listen, you don’t even want to give them the time of day. That isn’t a good philosophy, that isn’t good logic.

It certainly isn’t freedom. If your ideas cannot withstand scrutiny, you should abandon them. We should embrace this century with the hope of seeking truth so we can find a foundation that we can all agree to, and we can’t do that. It’s not everybody is given a place at the table of ideas. So that’s what we try to give them.

Yes they’re going to laugh, yes they’re going to be informed, yes they’re going to be inspired, they’re going to be educated. But in the end, hopefully they take that and move into their territory that they inhabit, their neighborhood, their schools, their businesses, and they bring that torch of righteousness and freedom to their neighborhoods, families, and friends. Again, if we aren’t doing at least that, shame on us.

Rick:

No doubt.

Speaking of bringing it to their neighbors and friends, I’ll talk more about this after the break. I know you’ve got another interview to go to, but people can bring the Comedy Constitution to their churches and communities, and I’ll give out information on how to do that.

Contribute to WallBuilders and get This Class Free

This particular one is going to take place in Las Vegas, in Pahrump, Nevada, right outside of Las Vegas, at Front Site.

We’ll be doing a Comedy Constitution and doing handgun training at the same time, and folks that are listening, if you go right now to RickGreen.Com you’ll find out how you can sign up by making a donation at WallBuildersLive.com, and be able to go with us for literally less than a tenth of what it would normally cost you to go through this type of training.

Brad, I know you got to do that other interview. God bless you brother. Thanks for coming on WallBuilders Live today.

Brad:

Always my pleasure. I can’t wait to meet you in Vegas. When the Founding Fathers put together the country, you know that their ultimate goal was casinos. So I cannot wait to see you in Vegas.

Rick:

Folks, Brad Stine. Thanks for listening, we”€™ll be right back with WallBuilders Live.

Comedy and the Constitution at Front Site

Hey friends, Rick Green here. Have you ever wanted to laugh while learning? Would you like to actually have some humor included in your education about the Constitution? Well, that’s what Brad Stine and myself do in what we call Comedy and the Constitution.

We do it all over the country and can bring it to your community. But, we’re doing something we’ve never done before. We’re taking the Comedy and the Constitution Front Site in Nevada, and we’re going to combine it with the Constitutional Defense Program we’ve been doing for a couple of years.

Now, the Constitutional Defense Program is where you actually get some constitution training and some handgun training to you learn how to defend yourself and your family. You’re going to get all of it: the constitutional training; the opportunity to laugh with Brad Stine, God’s comic comedian, and you’re going to the handgun training at Front Site.

This is a one time event happening June 3rd and 4th. There’s still time to sign up; but, space is very limited. So, if you want to be on the range with us, then you’ve got to get signed up right now at RickGreen.com. Find out more; it’s going to be a great event on June 3rd and 4th. So, get signed up today at RickGreen.com.

June 3rd through 4th

Rick:

Welcome back. Thanks for staying with us here on WallBuilders Live.

Thanks to Brad Stine for spending the entire program with us today, really appreciate his time. Go to BradStine.com if you want to learn more about Brad and get some of his amazing video projects and programs.

He is hilarious, and it’s a great time for you to be able to not only laugh, but what I love about Brad is he gets you laughing, but then he drives home some really good biblical principle while he’s getting you laughing. So it’s a great opportunity.

Be sure to check out BradStine.com. But the best opportunity is to be able to come and not only laugh with Brad, but also learn about the Constitution and give us a chance to sow those principles of what made America great in the first place, and give you the opportunity to share those things with people as well.

So if you come with us. June 3rd and 4th, you’re going to get the Comedy and Constitution, which is a great event by itself, and you can bring it to your communities by going to Rick Green.com to find out more and find out how you can actually book Comedy Constitution at your church, or your group, and your community. But we’re actually doing something we’ve never done before, as we’ve already talked about today.

We’re gonna combine the Comedy Constitution with Constitutional Defense. So this might be a one time thing, possibly only time where we may never do it again. I don’t know.

A First Time Event

This is the first time we’ve ever done it.

On June 3rd and 4th you can come with us to Front Sight and learn, whether you’ve never touched a gun in your whole life, or you’ve shot your whole life and you want to improve your skills, or you just want to hang out with us, you’re gonna be able to learn some incredible skills. You’re going to learn how to defend yourself and your family, learn all the mechanisms of your weapon, but also learn how to present it, how to conceal it, mentally how to think about those situations.

All of that’s going to take place in those two days going through that handgun defense class at Front Sight.

Then in the evenings Brad and I are gonna do the Comedy and Constitution. You’re going to get to laugh and learn about the Constitution, and very specifically we’ll be teaching on the Second Amendment that first night. So it’s going to be really fun. We’re going to have music, it’s going to be amazing.

So Comedy Constitution and Constitutional Defense combined for the first time ever. On June 3rd and 4th, it’s going to take place in Pahrump, Nevada.

You’ll need to fly in on the 2nd so that you can be ready for those two days, the third and the fourth.

Don”€™t Miss This Class

Believe me, you’re going to get an amazing education and have a great time of fellowship with people from all over the country that have been coming with us to Front Site. We take 50 to 100 people every time that we go and we go about once a month, but this time we’re going with Brad Stine and you get to be a part of it and enjoy that great fellowship and that great learning all at the same time.

So go to RickGreen.com today if you want to find out more about how you can come to that particular program. We have other trips to Front Sight later in the fall, in September, October, November. Some of those the Bartons will be with us, so we’ll have all kinds of people come in with us.

This particular trip in June is with Brad Stine. You don’t want to miss that opportunity to come and laugh and learn with Brad Stine and the Green family, experiencing the Comedy and Constitution and also the Constitutional Defense program.

Both of those rolled into one, this one time. So check it out at RickGreen.com.

Then last thing today, first, thanks to our guest Brad Stine for coming on today, but thank you for listening today.

I would encourage you to go to WallBuildersLive.com today. Click on that donate button. Make that contribution so that this program can grow, and expand, and add stations to reach more people. Give us the opportunity to equip and inspire your fellow citizens.

Fun Ways to Study the Constitution

You’ll be investing in the solution. You’ll be coming alongside us and being a part of what we’re doing here at WallBuilders. Whether it’s our youth leadership programs, our pastors trainings, our legislators trainings, all the different things that we’re doing to equip and inspire citizens, you can be a part of it by donating right there at WallBuildersLive.com.

If you make that contribution of $99, you get to come on this Front Site Constitutional Defense and the Comedy Constitution for free. Normally a thousand dollars, you get to come for only a contribution of $99 to WallBuilders Live. It’s our way of saying thank you.

Now listen, you’ve got to pay for your own ammo and your own travel, but you get that thousand dollar class at Front Sight for free, plus get to spend the time with Brad Stine himself. We look forward to seeing you there. Thank you so much for listening. You’ve been listening to WallBuilders Live.