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Articles by John A. Eidsmoe
Col. John Eidsmoe: Examining another contender for America's first president
Who was our first president? As we saw in last week’s column, Elias Boudinot was president of the Continental Congress in 1783 when the Treaty of Paris was signed, meaning he was the first president to serve when the United States was recognized as an independent nation. But others may claim the title of America's first president.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Was Washington really our first president?
“First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen,” said “Light-Horse” Harry Lee in his eulogy of George Washington. True! But was Washington our first president? Some say yes, some say no. In fact, it’s a matter of definition. Washington served 1789-1797 as the first president selected under the United StatesConstitution. Yet between 1774 and 1789, no fewer than 14 men served as presidents of the Continental Congress.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Religious liberty and transgenderism clash in a nude, female spa
Fifty-six years as a lawyer have erased any doubts I ever had about the Lutheran/Calvinist doctrine of the total depravity of man. I’ve seen and handled many strange cases. But the Foundation for Moral Law just filed an amicus brief in a Supreme Court case that takes the cake for sheer prosecutorial depravity. The case is Olympus Spa v. Armstrong.
Col. John Eidsmoe: What the founding fathers got wrong about American elections
The 55 delegates who participated in the Constitutional Convention were brilliant, thoughtful and dedicated men. Thomas Jefferson was in France, but when he learned who was attending the convention, he wrote to John Adams, “It is really an assembly of demigods [not demagogues].” Later, he wrote, “[A] more able assembly never sat in America.”Nor, I would add, has a more able assembly ever sat since. They weren’t perfect, as they would be the first to remind us.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Leif Erickson Day – a Christian holiday?
Amid the controversies over Columbus Day (Oct. 12), Leif Erickson Day (Oct. 9) seems to have flown under the radar. But it is a national holiday, so declared by Congress in 1935. For centuries, the Viking expeditions to North America were shrouded by mystery, somewhere between history and legend. The old Viking sagas – notably the “Saga of Olaf Trygvasson,”the “Saga of Erik the Red,”the“Flateyjarbok,”the“Graenlendinga Saga,”and the“Kristni Saga”– told of a voyage to Vinland in the West.
Col. John Eidsmoe: An Orwellian fable for today
Some of us remember George Orwell’s 1945 book "Animal Farm," ostensibly a children’s book, but actually a hard-hitting satire on Russia’s 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. Led by the pigs, the animals of Manor Farm revolt against Farmer Jones and establish a communal society under the philosophy of Animalism, the central premise of which is "All animals are equal." But gradually, the pigs take power and privilege for themselves, claiming it is for the good of all.
Col. John Eidsmoe: What can tax-exempt churches do politically?
“I’d like to say something about moral issues like abortion and gambling, but I don’t dare.I’m a pastor, and my church would lose its tax exemption, wouldn’t it?” The IRS has restrictions, but they are not as strict as many suppose. With an election coming up, it’s important to know what a church or other nonprofit corporation may and may not do consistent with Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC).
Col. John Eidsmoe: My body, whose choise?
An elderly doctor, an early leader in the pro-life movement, was confronted by angry demonstrators wearing T-shirts with the message, “My Body, My Choice!” She thought for a moment and asked, “You had a choice, and you chose that body?” On the abortion issue, their premise – that I should have total control over what’s done with my own body – falls flat on its face for the obvious reason that abortion involves more than one’s own body. Abortion involves the body of the preborn child as well.
Col. John Eidsmoe: The hold-out and hero Clancy juror
The jurors in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial have delivered their verdict – except they didn’t. Eleven voted for acquittal while one refused to go with the majority. That means a mistrial and a hung jury. That’s not a victory for the defense because the prosecution could bring Clancy to trial again. What was going on in the mind of the holdout juror? A note from the jury foreperson to the judge said the juror had doubts but nevertheless refused to vote for acquittal.
Col. John Eidsmoe: The insanity defense — Are you out of your mind?
The trial of Lindsay Clancy has captured nationwide attention because it confronts us with a tragedy of unspeakable proportions and multiple dimensions. We all know what happened. But in another sense, none of us knows what really happened. The events are not in dispute. Clancy, by all accounts, a devoted and loving mother in Duxbury, Mass., suffered postpartum depression after the birth of her youngest child.
Col. John Eidsmoe: What's wrong with socialism?
Last week we looked at the varieties of socialism and communism. But what is wrong with them? According to many people, nothing. A recent Gallup poll found that 54% of U.S. adults view capitalism favorably (down from 61% in 2010), while 39% view socialism favorably (up from 36% in 2010). Among Democrats, only 42% view capitalism favorably, while 66% view socialism favorably. Independents prefer capitalism over socialism 51% to 38%, while Republicans favor capitalism over socialism 74% to 14%.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Socialists, communists, what's the difference?
“They’re socialists!” “No, they’re communists!” “I don’t think so; they’re not quite radical enough to be communists.” “Socialists, communists – what’s the difference?” Good question! The answer is more complex than we might think, because there are different varieties of each.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Civility needs to be reinfused into politics
Civility in public life seems to be out of style today. By age 16, George Washington had copied 110 rules of civility developed in the 1500s by French Jesuits. The first of these set the tone for the others: “Every Action done in company, ought to be with Some Sign of Respect, to those who are Present.” Respect for opposing counsel used to be a hallmark of the legal profession.
Col. John Eidsmoe: There's more than meets the ear in Wagner's music
Hearing Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries”over the loudspeakers at Nazi rallies or hearing Hitler say that whoever wants to understand National Socialism must know Wagner, gives one the chills. But that was a century after Wagner lived and composed. Who was the real Wagner? Wagner could at times be an unstable, obnoxious, antisemitic egomaniac who believed the entire human race proved its stupidity by not recognizing him as the greatest genius who ever lived.
Col. John Eidsmoe: When do taxes become revolting?
Why did the colonies declare independence from Great Britain? “For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent,” reads one grievance in the Declaration. That recalls the rallying cry, “Taxation without representation is tyranny,” raising the issue of Parliament’s authority to tax parts of the realm that had no seats in Parliament. The colonists challenged Parliament’s authority to tax them, but they also fought against and evaded taxes imposed by their local and colonial governments.
Col. John Eidsmoe and Dr. Randy Brinson: Rhett Marques and the forgotten victims of the abortion holocaust
The frozen embryo is the forgotten victim of the abortion holocaust. And Rhett Marques, who is running for Alabama’s Second Congressional District, seems content to keep it that way. At a recent Christian Coalition of Alabama meeting, Marques took a pro-life stance. Given this position, Coalition Chairman Dr. Randy Brinson asked Marques why he voted for a bill exempting clinics from any and all liability for the destruction of frozen embryos. Marques’ response was all over the place.
Col. John Eidsmoe and Hampton Harris: The biblical justification for the American Revolution
“The Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God.” “Created equal.” “Unalienable Rights.” “To secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men.” “Consent of the governed.” All of this, as we have seen in previous columns, is consistent with the Bible.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Reviving the cornerstone of freedom with the 10th Amendment
Frustrated because the conservative Supreme Court often struck down his New Deal legislation, President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) proposed to “pack” the Court in 1937 by adding a new justice for every justice over the age of 70. If FDR had succeeded in placing three liberal justices on the Court, he would have started winning cases 7-5 instead of losing 5-4. But in the face of widespread opposition in the public and in Congress, FDR backed off from this scheme.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Is 'consent of the governed' a biblical concept?
In recent columns, we’ve explored whether the Declaration of Independence is consistent with the Bible. So far, we’ve seen that the Declaration says we are entitled to independence by the “Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God.” We’ve seen that equality in the sight of God and the law is a biblical concept, and we’ve made the case for a biblical doctrine of unalienable rights endowed by the Creator.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Are 'unalienable rights' biblical?
The Declaration of Independence proclaims as a “self-evident” truth that all men are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” “Rights come from the Creator,” Christians note joyfully. “So that settles it – the Declaration is a Christian document. But the Declaration can be considered “Christian” only if it is consistent with the Bible, rightly interpreted. So does the Bible contain a bill of rights?
Col. John Eidsmoe: Is 'created equal' biblical?
As America approaches its 250th birthday, we celebrate the “self-evident truths” of the Declaration of Independence – that all men are created equal, and that they are endowed with unalienable rights. Jefferson’s original draft said these truths are “sacred and undeniable”; Ben Franklin suggested the change to “self-evident.” A child was about to be born, but some still question its paternity today. So who is the “father” of these truths? The Bible? Or the so-called Enlightenment?
Col. John Eidsmoe: Let's ask Jefferson what the Declaration of Independence means
During this 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we’re hearing many conflicting interpretations of our founding document. Some call it a radical humanist manifesto that announces the overthrow of monarchy and of the Christian religion; others see it as a reactionary document to preserve the property and privileges of the ruling classes, especially slaveholders.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Jay Mitchell's IVF opinion was a courageous stand for preborn children
Former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Jay Mitchell has come under scathing attack – nearly all of it financed by out-of-state groups – for authoring a Court opinion upholding the rights of babies conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF is the conception and development of babies outside the womb, often involving the creation of multiple embryos. In many instances, IVF enables otherwise childless couples to have children.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Was John Adams a friend or foe of Christianity?
I recently mentioned some of John Adams’ speculations about life on other planets and whether their inhabitants needed a different Savior to pay for their sins. Adams’ religious views are relevant to whether the Declaration is a biblical document because of his involvement in the Continental Congress and the Declaration of Independence.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Have we forgotten the Ninth Amendment?
Mention the Fifth Amendment, and people say, “You can’t make me talk!” Mention the First Amendment, and people say, “You can’t stop me from talking!” Mention the Second, and they think, “You can’t take my guns!” But the Ninth Amendment – what’s that all about? Many of us have no idea. The Ninth Amendment addresses the central issues of the Constitutional Convention of 1787: powers delegated to and withheld from the federal government, and rights surrendered and retained by the people.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Trump's UFO release and the circles in my north pasture
President Trump – the most open president in U.S. history – has released a long-overdue host of secret UFO documents. The government has a right and duty to classify certain documents and keep them secret, but I see no compelling reason to classify information about UFOs. The information we’ve seen thus far is fascinating, but doesn’t clearly tell us whether extraterrestrials really exist. Since ancient times, men have wondered whether we are alone in the universe.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Is Pete Hegseth right in demoting U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly?
It’s finally happened. Some bureaucrat in the Department of War (DoW) didn’t like my columns supporting Admiral Kent Davis against Gov. Kay Ivey’s wrongful and spiteful firing of him. Accordingly, in future columns, I will identify myself as Airman Basic John Eidsmoe. Just kidding, but not entirely. The right and duty of retired military personnel to speak is very important, and it is protected by the First Amendment. Which brings me to DoD Sec. Pete Hegseth’s effort to demote Sen.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Conversion therapy, a victory of sorts
As we analyze Supreme Court cases, we consider not only whether our side won or lost, but also what precedents were set by the decision. So let’s look at Chiles v. Salazar, in which the Supreme Court recently ruled that a Colorado law prohibiting “conversion therapy” (counseling to help a client overcome homosexual tendencies) for minors violated the right of a therapist to practice her profession in accordance with her convictions.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Invoke the 25th Amendment? Why?
In the history of the United States, and possibly in the history of the entire world, the radical left has never hated anyone as intensely as they hate Donald Trump. The reason is obvious: he has stood as a colossus, almost singlehandedly thwarting their plans to convert our constitutional republic into a secular socialist society.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Is the Alabama Legislature forcing religion upon us?
The role of religion in American public life is a legitimate subject for debate ever since Jesus answered the Pharisees, “Render therefore unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). In ancient Israel, there was a kind of separation of church and state; the priests came from the tribe of Levi, the kings from the tribe of Judah. But both received their authority from God, and both were subject to the Law of God.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Are speeding cameras benevolence, tyranny or both?
“Those who would give up essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” – Benjamin Franklin In the hectic closing days of the 2026 Alabama Legislature (about the only time the Legislature gets anything accomplished), SB341, the Alabama Work Zone Safety Act, was passed.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Is birthright citizenship right?
Some think the issue of birthright citizenship was settled in 1868 with the ratification of the 14th Amendment, which reads in part: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States … are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” Why is this an issue? Because of the language in the ellipsis above, which many leave out when quoting the Amendment: “and subject to the jurisdiction thereof.” During the birthright citizenship argument in Trump v.
Col. John Eidsmoe: A skeptic goes through Holy Week
On Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem as the crowds waved palm branches and proclaimed, “Hosanna [save now] to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!” The crowds truly welcomed Jesus, but they expected Him to be a conquering hero who would overthrow the kingdoms of the earth. He will do that at His second coming, but His first coming was as a suffering servant to die for the sins of the world.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Will the SAVE Act really save America?
Most Americans have heard about the Safeguard America Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act), but many have little idea what it is or why it is needed. The SAVE Act’s purpose is to safeguard elections by ensuring that only U.S. citizens may register and vote. Here are the Act’s basic provisions: States may not register people to vote in federal elections without proof of citizenship.
Col. John Eidsmoe: The common thread between Iran, the Aztecs and Alabama
In an earlier 1819 News column, I suggested that the president as commander-in-chief of the armed forces has authority to engage in limited military action without a congressional declaration of war, and that a preemptive strike can be justified when the threat is instant and overwhelming and when waiting could make self-defense difficult or impossible. Trump’s deep-bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities in June 2025 was justifiable on constitutional, legal and moral grounds.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Bryan Dawson and the 'heckler's veto' treatment
The “heckler’s veto” is a legal term for allowing a hostile crowd to shout down a speaker or, by threatening violence, cause authorities to shut down a speaker to keep the peace. It has no place in a free society, because both majorities and minorities have a God-given right to speak and be heard. The heckler’s veto happened in Chicago in 1946. Father Arthur Terminiello gave an inflammatory speech to about 800 Christian Veterans of America, while a hostile crowd of about 1,000 demonstrated outside.
Col. John Eidsmoe and Dr. Randy Brinson: Child porn + AI = big trouble
Some think the First Amendment gives them the right to pedal porn, but the Supreme Court has repeatedly held that truly obscene material is outside the protection of the First Amendment. What is obscene? In Miller v.
Col. John Eidsmoe: The quiet greatness of President James Madison
As I write, it is Presidents Day, a holiday. Is it disrespectful to work on such a day? So far as I know, no president ever skipped work on that day. And so, I will write on Presidents Day – about a president. James Madison, the fourth man to occupy that office (1809-1817), brought us through the War of 1812 successfully.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Almost no one knows one of our greatest presidents
As President’s Day approaches, we often ask, “Who was our greatest president?” Perhaps we should ask a deeper question: “By what criteria should our presidents be rated?” Historians often rank the presidents, but being mostly left of center politically speaking, these historians usually rate presidents based on how much they expanded the scope of government, how many new government programs they ushered in, what social changes they forced upon the nation, and how many wars they brought us...
Col. John Eidsmoe: A Christian approach to the immigration debate
The biblical book of Ruth tells the moving story of a Moabite woman who married an Israelite. When her husband died, his mother, Naomi, assumed that Ruth would return to her Moabite people. “Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee,” Ruth answered, “for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.” (Ruth 1:16) Note carefully Ruth’s words.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Don Lemon, constitutional idiot
Imagine that I were pro-abortion (which takes a lot of imagination, because I most certainly am not!). Now imagine that I decided to hold a pro-abortion protest against Alabama’s anti-abortion law – in your living room! “Not on my property!” is your response. “Go hold your protest somewhere else!” That recalls the events in Minnesota on Sunday, Jan.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Time for the Law of the Sea Treaty to get 'LOST'
Drafted under United Nations auspices in 1982 and then slightly revised in 1994, the Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST or UNCLOS) is a comprehensive agreement establishing maritime zones, regulating navigation, and governing resources including seabed mining, environmental protection, and dispute resolution.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Trump vs. Maduro – Who wins? | Alabama News
Please do me a favor: Before you tell me President Trump has done something unconstitutional, read the Constitution and cite the provision you think he has violated. “That’s easy,” someone might say.
Col. John Eidsmoe: MTG — Good riddance or not? | Alabama News
Only the rarest of politicians become known by their initials: FDR, JFK, RFK, LBJ, AOC and now MTG. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a conservative Christian, was elected to Congress from Georgia’s 14th district in 2020 on the slogan “SAVE AMERICA – STOP SOCIALISM.” A staunch Trump Republican, she stood out almost immediately for her controversial statements.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Is LGBTQ a roadmap for suppression of religion?
Sometimes, when looking for the religious issue at stake in a case, you must peel off the layers. This is true of St. Mary Catholic Parish, Littleton, Colorado v. Lisa Roy, Director of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, which is before the Supreme Court on a petition for writ of certiorari. As Senior Counsel for the Foundation for Moral Law, with my associate attorney Talmadge Butts, I have filed an amicus brief supporting St. Mary Catholic Parish.
Col. John Eidsmoe: A cosmic, covert, Christmas commando raid
Most people celebrate Christmas as a sweet story about a nice baby, with loving parents, adoring shepherds, and wise men. Christmas is all of that, but it is so much more. As hymnwriter Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676) portrays it in my favorite carol, “All My Heart This Night Rejoices,” Christmas is a covert commando raid into enemy territory, a raid of cosmic proportions.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Is grace the exception to TANSTAAFL?
Last Wednesday, a sermon by Pastor Timothy Swenson of the Institute for Lutheran Theology reminded me of an acronym I hadn’t heard in decades: TANSTAAFL, or “There Ain’t No Such Thing as a Free Lunch.” TANSTAAFL goes back at least to the 1930s, when American saloons sometimes offered a “free lunch” to entice customers to come in and drink. The lunch wasn’t really free; the customer paid for it, as the saloon recouped its costs through higher liquor prices.
Col. John Eidsmoe: 'You can't legislate morality' – but you must! |…
In a recent lecture, Dr. W. Robert Godfrey of Ligonier Ministries regretfully acknowledged the waning influence of Christian morality in America. But he also cautioned, “Let’s not depend on having law enforce what we think is right.” On the surface, that sounds like the old adage “you can’t legislate morality.” Secularists have often used that slogan to silence the Christian voice in the public arena, and Christians have succumbed to the taunt like frightened sheep.
Col. John Eidsmoe: Is the United Nations the Tower of Babel reconstructed?
Last night I heard an excellent sermon about the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) and the dangers of human progress unrestrained by divine wisdom. The unfettered human progress of the 1800s led to the 1900s, the most destructive century in human history, with two world wars, the rise of Communism, Nazism, fascism, and radical Islam, along with the genocide of abortion. Viewed through my lens, the Tower was the world’s first United Nations building.
Col. John Eidsmoe: The founders' five-fold formula for a festive Thanksgiving
Have you ever closed your Thanksgiving festival with a gnawing feeling of disappointment, as though something was missing? Observing the five “Fs” formula of the first Thanksgiving in 1621 may remedy that disappointment. FOOD According to Gov. William Bradford’s “History of Plymouth Plantation,”supplemented by Edward Winslow in “Mourt’s Relation,” the Pilgrims and their Wampanoag guests enjoyed turkey, venison, waterfowl, seafood, and much more.
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