Beck: The History of Freedom, Part 2

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Glenn -- let's do this differently than land like a star of the beginning let let's just jump around because.

We're here let's let's start with the baby in the trash what what tell me about the baby in the trash.

Well you know that was about the time the cross of Christ and the Roman empire was very very powerful and considered it -- further progress have been fairly mild empire in the sense of how they treated those people that it fell under their rule.

And yet they just simply didn't value human life the way we do today and that's what we -- hoping illustrate with that part of the story is that.

Even with these fairly progressive.

Empires that they just didn't understand.

What you and I take for granted and that is Roman soldier wrote his -- in Alexandria in Houston she was about.

To give birth he said if it's a son keep him.

But if that's -- daughter just throw -- -- way.

And you know it's it's impossible for uniter to imagine that speaking of one of our children the child is going to be born yet it was fairly common at that time.

They preferred to the songs for very obvious reasons and then didn't how much value them in their daughters.

And you know that's a great illustration of this was a very brutal time and I say this I -- up until the modern day when that we have this.

Explosion -- this golden age of freedom that we see around us now.

The this story starts out this chapter starts out with.

A little boy going to search for food.

In a trash heap.

On a barge or something right on the river -- are just outside of Rome and it starts to go through the trash heap.

Because he's a Christian and Christians at this point in Rome not popular so there you what are you living like.

-- -- -- -- And as well as -- think most of recognize most -- that converts to christianity would choose.

And they were not.

Of course we know Christians were treated very well and the Roman empire -- And especially Christians Jews yeah kind of a double all right -- there.

And so they were doing a lot of people did and -- after -- -- a fairly wealthy city and like unfortunately today they -- a lot of good that would sustain people around the world and so it was common for people to go through the garbage -- and to be looking for food or anything of any value actually.

And in doing so he came across what does not that unusual that an infant who -- had been thrown -- and survived tonight and decided to take her home.

He hears the cries of this baby if he's going through the trash he needs.

He's putting apple peels into his pocket and he hears the cries of a baby.

And pick them up and you suddenly realize that.

He is.

Totally unique in the culture that the culture is set up to a point where.

Anybody else a Roman citizen would've left the baby.

Just in the traffic it's not like you go to the police and say hey who -- He then takes the baby and goes to his uncle who is just -- there who is just -- for us.

Well I just interest in this case isn't the -- the signal it's not a lot of us history -- -- -- -- -- character who would have lived sometime after that it.

But the whole point of the story -- to illustrate as you are saying that this this was a turning point in culture in the sense of for the first time this Judeo Christian idea that every person is is of value.

Including including slaves including those who are free including those who are not citizens every person has -- value.

So then -- comes and because he sees a cross in the sky.

He -- with this symbol you will.

Become the Cesar.

Yeah yeah.

Our guys are designed to conquer write these different interpretations as literal translations what he -- that's essentially it under this -- conquer and the amazing battle that happens he comes now remember think of Rome has -- and it's a walled city and it has the river.

And you're not fighting.

You're -- fight enrollment the wall.

And yet he marked his his army up to the wall and tell -- the story.

Well -- -- in Green user is a conflict between two men who -- wanted to be Caesar Augustus the ultimate -- -- And had he had to lay siege to -- it -- been very very bloody battle that -- lasted perhaps for months or even longer.

And -- the other emperor who was his opponent felt.

Felt there was no question who's gonna win this battle and arrogance arrogance.

And he sent his forces out to destroy Constantine -- his army.

And he maneuvered in some tactical ways that would put -- it has the disadvantage and that mention his -- was round and and then missed the rest of it was defeated.

He comes out of the walled city crosses the river.

And this.

If you're not gonna destroy.

Constantin.

Backs the army are they following the river.

They're slaughtered.

And they -- in the river there including the emperor himself off -- and boos drowned her.

Amazing.

Amazing story and it was that's turning point it was that moment.

That I mean we could argue about Constantin I think Constantine was a an interesting yeah and we've you know we and argue about -- weather is good or bad but it was a turning point from.

Christians.

Being hunted -- Depending on the emperor was being persecuted to all of a sudden -- -- minute.

-- we we're we're now we're we're somebody yet and it was the turning point for Europe.

-- being a Constantin losing what would can considered late Middle -- the timing is in his forties spent his entire life is a pagan and it was it I think there was a conversion process that yeah it's over several years.

My favorite is he didn't get baptized until so just on his -- as as emperor as my favorite quote is I'm butchering and I don't know if you -- Coates is on the book but.

He said something along lines of as -- their things I have to do baptize me when I'm -- Google did the forgiveness.

For all the -- had to do save it say I've got the I've got bad stuff I -- that's covered if Asia -- You know whether he was truly converted or are in the process through which she was right -- good weather is instantly or over years or or what was in his heart it doesn't matter.

The thing that's important started the ball rolling that's right is for the first time there the Romans accepted christianity instead of persecuting them.

And that it very quickly.

A large percentage of the Roman empire I was -- Christian.

I was really struck by I mean again the the point of the book at least that I got was day.

There's no way man should be free.

Everything is set up against man being free.

There's no way that were free today all of these things and these are to seven that you put out all of these none of these things should happen and they should have fallen way.

But they did.

It was that point.

And also.

No place -- maybe Somalia some places in the Middle East.

They know what horror shows are but.

Very few in the world really understand what's what things are.

-- what real horror shows are.

Yet it's soft -- outside of our normal experience even things that we can read or or see on television but that was the norm yet.

Right double about a lot about what -- -- will probably the last few generations I mean here's some -- numbers.

-- only 22 nations that have experienced democracy today.

For greater than fifty years.

We talked about a 10210.

Billion people live in -- -- Only five billion of them have ever experience what we consider freedom and three billion of them are alive today.

So this idea of free and we look around us and we say well this is the way things are this is way things have always been is simply not true.

It's something that is a modern experience it's a modern.

You know maybe even up to Soviet Union or Communist China -- mean enormous numbers people who in a very recent times and experience what we take for grant all the time.

When we come back I wanna talk -- little bit about -- -- com.

Or dentist -- we're talking -- ginger some.

If you had moderate if he had modern technology.

Worse than Mao and and Hitler and Stalin.

Yeah I just in case -- horrible yeah and then you -- when you read.

And we can talk about that -- there was yet when when we come back -- things sit I don't think people really.

We haven't seen before.

My daughter and I we had a it's funny we had a we had a all I guess horror off in history we wish you just the other day -- finish Arenas and you know again it's time.

Is she started telling me and Harris are telling her a little bit and and she said -- -- -- -- the and paler did XY and -- and I sit now honey.

Listen to this this in this she's like debt problem this.

It's a very strange sick sad family but.

Absolutely value --

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Beck: The History of Freedom, Part 2

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