America:

The Late Land of Blessings

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During the past fifty years, the United States has begun to systematically remove the expression of faith from the public square. Since that time, prayer has been outlawed in its schools, monuments displaying the Ten Commandments have been removed from its governmental buildings, and state seals bearing any reference to Christianity have been challenged as unconstitutional. Even the reference to God in the Pledge of allegiance has been assailed in our courts as being a violation of church and state.

If you have ever wondered if God would ultimately turn His back on America, consider the following: all the evidence indicates that America has already turned her back on Him. Our nation has so radically changed since it was first envisioned by the framers of the Constitution, that it scarcely resembles the country it once was. For example: did you know that the American Bible Society was started by an act of Congress? What chance do you think those patriots would have doing such a thing in today’s America?

Those who contend that any expression of faith in the public square poses a clear and present danger to our liberties don’t want you to know that immediately after creating the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress voted to purchase and import 20,000 Bibles for distribution to the people of this nation. Why don’t the ACLU and the People for the American Way want you to know such things? Because that truth exposes their rejection of faith on Constitutional grounds as TOTAL myth. The Constitution says no such thing! Furthermore, the founding fathers embraced faith in the God of the Bible as opposed to fearing it. Consider a few examples:

Patrick Henry, who is called the firebrand of the American Revolution, is still remembered for his words, "Give me liberty or give me death." But in current textbooks the context of these words is deleted. Here is what he said:

"An appeal to arms and the God of hosts is all that is left us. But we shall not fight our battle alone. There is a just God that presides over the destinies of nations. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone. Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death."

These words have been stripped from the pages of American history books because the wisdom of our highest court sees them as a threat to freedom. It is interesting that Patrick Henry saw things much differently. He knew that freedom was made possible by faith. Notice what he wrote in 1776.

"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great Nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, people of other faiths have been afforded freedom of worship here."

What about Thomas Jefferson? Wasn’t he just a deist and not a Christian? To best answer that question, consider his own words as written on the front of his well-worn Bible:

"I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus. I have little doubt that our whole country will soon be rallied to the unity of our Creator and, I hope, to the pure doctrine of Jesus also."

George Washington is regarded by many as the greatest American President. Was he silent concerning the importance of the scriptures as it relates to government? Consider the words of his farewell address on September 19, 1796:

"It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are the indispensable supporters. Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that our national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

Was George Washington a Christian? He was if you believe what he wrote in his personal prayer book.

"Oh, eternal and everlasting God, direct my thoughts, words and work. Wash away my sins in the immaculate blood of the Lamb and purge my heart by thy Holy Spirit. Daily, frame me more and more in the likeness of thy son, Jesus Christ, that living in thy fear, and dying in thy favor, I may in thy appointed time obtain the resurrection of the justified unto eternal life. Bless, O Lord, the whole race of mankind and let the world be filled with the knowledge of thee and thy son, Jesus Christ."

John Adams was one of the greatest voices for freedom in our nation’s history. This champion of liberty was not only America’s second president but also served as chairman of the American Bible Society. In an address he once said:

"We have no government armed with the power capable of contending with human passions, unbridled by morality and true religion. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

But there’s more. Our rich history is filled with the faith of great men seeking to build a great nation on the principles of Christianity. For example, how about our first Supreme Court Justice, John Jay? He stated that when we select our national leaders, if we are to preserve our Nation, we must select Christians.

"Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian Nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."

John Quincy Adams, son of John Adams, was the sixth U.S. President. He was also the chairman of the American Bible Society, which he considered his highest and most important role. On July 4, 1821, In an address to the military President Adams said,

"The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity."

Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States reaffirmed this truth when he wrote,

"The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country."

Faith in the God of the Bible was so prominent in the earlier years of the republic that it was felt everywhere, especially the classroom. In 1782, the United States Congress voted this resolution:

"The Congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools."

William Holmes McGuffey is the author of the McGuffey Reader, which was used for over 100 years in our public schools with over 125 million copies sold until it was stopped in 1963. Abraham Lincoln called him the "Schoolmaster of the Nation." Here is what this schoolmaster said about Christianity.

"The Christian religion is the religion of our country. From it are derived our notions on the character of God, on the great moral Governor of the universe. On its doctrines are founded the peculiarities of our free institutions. From no source has the author drawn more conspicuously than from the sacred Scriptures. From all these extracts from the Bible I make no apology."

Of the first 108 universities founded in America, 106 were distinctly Christian, including the first, Harvard University, chartered in 1636. In the original Harvard Student Handbook, rule number 1 was that students seeking entrance must know Latin and Greek so that they could study the Scriptures:

"Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life, (John 17:3); and therefore to lay Jesus Christ as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning. And seeing the Lord only giveth wisdom, let every one seriously set himself by prayer in secret to seek it of him (Proverbs 2:3)."

For over 100 years, more than 50% of all Harvard graduates were pastors! Today, religion is viewed by so many in higher education as just another superstitions—a myth to be combated with enlightenment.

Despite the clear evidence from history that the Bible and the Christian faith were foundational to our educational and judicial system, a movement was launched to undermine this foundation. Now, because the great doctrine of secularism goes virtually unchecked, one of our most cherished freedoms is being undermined. With each passing day it now becomes more difficult for “One nation under God” to proclaim that we are such a nation. After all, to publicly acknowledge God is now regarded as unconstitutional. Even our children are being sold this fable in classrooms across this land.

Perhaps the greatest single decision effecting America and its culture today was rendered by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1962. In this decision, these great moral leaders determined that the Union Free School District in Hyde Park, New York had violated the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution because it facilitated the following prayer at the beginning of each school day. "Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our Country." (Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421).

In a very real sense these unelected justices reversed nearly two centuries of legislative and judicial pronouncements, not to mention several longstanding traditions that had played a significant role in American life since the founding of our nation. So appalling was the court’s ruling that Representative Frank Becker of North Carolina called it “the most tragic decision in the history of the United States.” Senator Sam Ervin likened it to the “segregation of God” from society.

Since Engle v Vitale, numerous rulings by our nation’s highest court have affirmed that any expression of faith by children attending public schools now poses a imminent threat to our liberties and as such is a violation of our most sacred legal document, the Constitution. For example, in 1963 the High Court prohibited the reciting of the “Lord’s Prayer” or the reading of Bible passages in public schools. In 1980 it banned the posting of the Ten Commandments. In rendering this decision the Court offered this reason:

"If portions of the New Testament were read without explanation, they could and have been psychologically harmful to children."

It is inconceivable to imagine how God’s great moral code could be harmful to children, but that is how the high Court thought. Mind you, that these justices swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States. Being that we are talking about school, what grade do you think the authors of the constitution would give these reprobates in robes? Here is a clue. James Madison, the primary author of the Constitution said this:

"We have staked the whole future of our new nation, not upon the power of government; far from it. We have staked the future of all our political constitutions upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments."

Despite this undeniable truth, the High Court’s desire to protect our children from such moral pronouncements as “Thou shalt not kill” and “Thou shalt nor steal” won the day. But the Court wasn’t through.

In 1985 it forbade "daily moments of silence" if during these moments students were invited to pray. Furthermore, in yet another attempt to protect our children from the potential dangers of faith, the High Court saw fit to outlaw prayers led by members of the clergy at public school graduation ceremonies. This particular piece of judicial wisdom was handed down in 1992.

Perhaps the greatest indignity is that today the overwhelming majority of high school students are absolutely convinced that the architects of our nation would have opposed the idea of spiritual values being taught in public schools, let alone the reading of the scriptures. Furthermore, if a teacher attempted to present a lesson showcasing how the framers of the Constitution felt about Christianity and the Bible, his or her career would be on a “fast track” to an unemployment line.

A Final Thought

As the United States cries out to God when calamity strikes why should He listen? We decided America didn’t need Him a long time ago. His morality is not our morality. His wisdom is not our wisdom. His righteousness is not our righteousness. Well if that’s the way we want it then here is a word from Him,

"My Blessings Are Not Your Blessings"