Divine Providence and Revolutionary Courage: From Washington’s Battles to the Fight Against Critical Race Theory

On September 6, 2022, Kim Monson explores the foundations of American liberty through two compelling perspectives: patriotic historian Ben Martin recounts the miraculous events of Washington’s 1776 New York campaign, while philosopher Doug Groothuis exposes the socialist underpinnings of critical race theory and its assault on free markets and private property.

Washington’s Miraculous New York Campaign

Start listening at 03:00 – Hour 1

Ben Martin, patriotic historian, West Point graduate, and former Army Ranger, recounts the pivotal 1776 New York campaign that tested George Washington’s Continental Army to its breaking point. Martin draws a powerful parallel between the British writs of assistance that sparked colonial resistance and modern concerns about government overreach, noting that James Otis’s 1761 five-hour speech against open-ended search warrants inspired John Adams to declare “the child of independence was then and there born.”

Martin chronicles how Washington faced overwhelming British forces after evacuating Boston. General Howe arrived with over 40,000 professional soldiers and a massive fleet, while Washington commanded barely 20,000 poorly equipped militia. The Battle of Long Island, the first battle fought as an independent nation, saw the heroic Maryland 400 sacrifice themselves in a desperate rearguard action, allowing 2,000 American soldiers to escape to Brooklyn Heights. Their courage bought precious time for what became known as Washington’s miraculous escape.

Divine providence seemingly intervened as Washington executed a nighttime evacuation across the East River. Colonel Glover’s Marblehead Mariners ferried the entire army in darkness while fog, contrary winds, and overcast skies prevented British naval intervention. Martin emphasizes that these inexplicable circumstances deepened Washington’s belief that providence guided the American cause.

“Had Washington done nothing before or after those 10 days, he still would be regarded as one of history’s best commanders.”

Ben Martin, Patriotic Historian

Critical Race Theory and the Attack on Free Markets

Start listening at 59:20 – Hour 2

Doug Groothuis, professor of philosophy at Denver Seminary, breaks down the Marxist foundations of critical race theory and its assault on American institutions. Groothuis reads from the Black Lives Matter mission statement, which calls for disrupting “the Western prescribed nuclear family structure,” tracing this language directly to the Communist Manifesto. He explains that critical race theory views all problems through an economic lens of class conflict, seeking to discredit private property, free speech, and the free market system.

Groothuis distinguishes between genuine racism, which he describes as a “problem of the heart” requiring spiritual solutions, and the politically motivated redefinition pushed by critical race theorists. He argues that pinning all social problems on capitalism and then claiming racism is caused by capitalism creates a “nice, neat, and false formula” that ignores the actual causes of inequality, including factors as mundane as the average age of different ethnic groups.

The conversation turns to Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, which Groothuis criticizes as vote-buying through wealth redistribution. He objects particularly to the language of “forgiveness,” noting that unlike genuine moral forgiveness where a debt is actually paid, student loan “forgiveness” simply transfers the economic burden to taxpayers. Groothuis quotes Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.”

“The word capitalism was invented by Karl Marx, and it’s actually pejorative. It’s not a neutral description. So what I like to talk about is the free enterprise system or the free market system.”

Doug Groothuis, Professor of Philosophy, Denver Seminary