Anthem for a Nation - a Review

New Liberty Videos is a company on the forefront of producing quality, Christian videos with a purpose.  We were given a copy of “Anthem for a Nation” to view and review.  This year, in our homeschool, we are focusing on American History and our  Christian heritage.  Our history curriculum is written from a Christian perspective and we have been doing a lot of outside research to accompany it.  Being that it is still early in our school year, this video tied in perfectly with our studies.  We had just gotten to the foundations of America when the video arrived.  My kids love videos of any kind, so they were totally excited to be able to take a break from the book and watch a video.  We watched it as a family and have had many discussions as a result.
     “Anthem for a Nation” has a run time of forty-two minutes.  It is designed for the general audience, but due to the subject matter, parents may have to explain some of the events depicted to younger children.  My kids are both high school age and it was totally appropriate for them. This is a documentary video – not a drama.  It explores the Christian values and glorious freedoms that are the foundation of America and compels viewers to rise up and continue the traditions and values of our forefathers.  This video, while definitely coming from a Christian perspective,

paints a beautiful portrait of the connection between faith and freedom.  It goes to great lengths to point out many examples of the faith of our founding fathers, such as:

• “In God We Trust” is engraved in the walls of many federal buildings.
• The 10 Commandments hang above the head of the Chief Justice in the United States Supreme Court.
• The Great Seal of the United States has an inscription which reads: “God has smiled on our undertaking.”
• On the walls of the Jefferson Memorial are the words “God is the holy author of our religion.”
• The House and Senate each have a chaplain, open their sessions with a prayer, and have a dedicated room for prayer and meditation.  The window says “Preserve me, oh, God.  In thee do I trust.”
• Four paintings in the Capitol building show historical events in the founding days of our nation, and those paintings depict two prayer meetings, a bible study, and a baptism.
• Church services were held in the Capitol building for 75 years.

This is just a small sample of the myriad of facts presented.  After this foundation is established, the video shifts to demonstrate how our nation’s court system has slowly undermined these foundational Christian principles by gradually removing God from our everyday lives and thereby failing to give credit to God for making our nation great. Some examples mentioned include:

• In 1963, our laws removed Bibles from public schools.
• Nativity scenes, singing of carols, and celebration of Christmas in schools and public buildings has been outlawed in many areas.  Prayer was removed from schools.
• The federal government funded the instruction of secular humanism in public schools.
• 1973 – Roe v. Wade

     After describing these events, and many more, the narrator asks viewers to close their eyes and listen to the pings of bb’s hitting the side of a tin can. The sound of each bb represented 10,000 lives lost.  Then the narrator named each of the major wars that our country has been a part of recounted the number of lives lost in each one.  Then, he depicted the number of lives lost to abortions in this country since that fateful 1973 court decision, and shockingly, the sound of the bb’s increased tremendously.  This was an exceedingly powerful illustration about how much we have devalued human life. This segment ended with the words “God help us.”  Amen, and amen.
     Following this powerful segment, a time for reflection came.  We were reminded that the rebirth of our nation can happen when great numbers rise up to obey God.  The film culminates with beautiful footage of our American landscape accompanied by Lee Greenwood’s song “God Bless the USA.”  So patriotic and moving! 
      Bonus content in the film includes a story told by Maria Anne Hirschmann about her upbringing in Nazi Germany and her indoctrination into the Nazi belief system and how she came to faith in God.  An additional bonus feature is the story of Kitty Werthmann’s life growing up in Austria under Hitler’s regime.  She was saved from Nazi indoctrination because her mother loved her enough to send her away to a Catholic boarding school.
     This film is exceptional in its content and its format.  It would be an amazing view for any American.  I am using it as the basis of some reflective writing assignments for my kids.  It is amazing how much this has spurred them to want to research our foundations and Christian heritage! At $19.95, you are getting a great bargain for a quality video.There is a brief preview video available on YouTube.
      To read more reviews on this video as well as other videos by New Liberty Videos, click on the banner below.