I have been paying attention. Over the years I have observed the deterioration of our nation. The more "enlightened " we become, the deeper into despair we fall. Look back upon our history and you can see it plain as day. A look at the big picture is what is necessary. We have become myopic. We have become so concentrated on the needs of today, that we are forgetting about yesterday. Looking to the future is not a reality. Looking to the future is hope. Yes, we may plan for that future, but that future is not guaranteed. The past however, our past, cannot be denied. It has been well recorded. It has been analyzed , scrutinized and even in some cases, rejected. Still, the past cannot be denied. This nation, this REPUBLIC, was formed by those seeking freedom.
It is true the word God and any reference to a God was not included in the constitution . This was a deliberate thing. The founding fathers were wise men indeed. Their concern was for freedom and justice. In their time and world both had been infringed upon. Their desire was to create a republic where these freedoms were guaranteed. That these same men were Christians is without doubt. Even a cursory reading of their personal writings will reveal that. I am sure they felt no need to express their belief in a God or creator, if you will, that was a given, an expectation. In their time to be other than a Christian was a foreign concept. While they were acutely aware other religions existed , they did not so exist in European society. I am convinced any of these gentlemen would be amazed that the conversation has even taken place as to whether this nation was formed under Christian principles. A nation under God.
Having said that, it begs the question, if not a nation under God, then a nation under what ? Under the President, the Supreme court, the Congress, The Senate or under taxes. What are the guiding principles under which we will live ? The principle of, whatever feels good,whatever works, whatever ? Hardly a sound philosophy.
John Adams said it this way, “We Recognize No Sovereign but God, and no King but Jesus! [April 18, 1775] and he later explained, "We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." --October 11, 1798.
It is true the word God and any reference to a God was not included in the constitution . This was a deliberate thing. The founding fathers were wise men indeed. Their concern was for freedom and justice. In their time and world both had been infringed upon. Their desire was to create a republic where these freedoms were guaranteed. That these same men were Christians is without doubt. Even a cursory reading of their personal writings will reveal that. I am sure they felt no need to express their belief in a God or creator, if you will, that was a given, an expectation. In their time to be other than a Christian was a foreign concept. While they were acutely aware other religions existed , they did not so exist in European society. I am convinced any of these gentlemen would be amazed that the conversation has even taken place as to whether this nation was formed under Christian principles. A nation under God.
Having said that, it begs the question, if not a nation under God, then a nation under what ? Under the President, the Supreme court, the Congress, The Senate or under taxes. What are the guiding principles under which we will live ? The principle of, whatever feels good,whatever works, whatever ? Hardly a sound philosophy.
John Adams said it this way, “We Recognize No Sovereign but God, and no King but Jesus! [April 18, 1775] and he later explained, "We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." --October 11, 1798.
John Adams you will recall was the second president of the United States and certainly spoke from experience. He was there after all, and knew the minds of his fellows. I believe he was saying that men and nations need a moral compass. I believe he is saying that without this moral compass, or set of guiding principles, government cannot long exist. Men seek power, this is a universal truth. The quest for power often includes the abandonment of morality and virtuous behavior. The separation of God from State was a deliberate act. We are a republic after all. A republic is a government of the people. John Adams and the founding fathers recognized this and wrote the constitution for a moral and religious people. The religion was Christianity. One nation,under God. If we are not a nation under God, then we are only one thing, a nation under the influence of those that seek power. And that is not freedom. A review of history will bear this out. When a lack of morality and moral behavior becomes the logic of the state, the state dies. Often it is a violent end ! If not a Nation under God, then a nation under fools, fools that would rob us of our freedoms in the acquisition of power.
You need not be a Christian to recognize the truth in this. Any Government that has ruled outside of these principles has failed. When avarice,greed,and corruption are allowed to foster, the result is always the same. When man separates himself from God, failure ensues. Government cannot be aligned with religion, but government cannot survive without it. The founding fathers knew this. The founding fathers also recognized the necessity for a God. For it is our God that provides the guidance to govern. To presume man can do so on his own is folly. Man left to his own devices will invariably seek power, and power corrupts. With no guidance, no standard against which to judge his behavior man will fail. How could it be otherwise. We must follow the precepts of the Christian religion to be successful. It is these very precepts that founded our nation and have sustained it, it is time to reaffirm and acknowledge that truth. One Nation ,Under God.
You need not be a Christian to recognize the truth in this. Any Government that has ruled outside of these principles has failed. When avarice,greed,and corruption are allowed to foster, the result is always the same. When man separates himself from God, failure ensues. Government cannot be aligned with religion, but government cannot survive without it. The founding fathers knew this. The founding fathers also recognized the necessity for a God. For it is our God that provides the guidance to govern. To presume man can do so on his own is folly. Man left to his own devices will invariably seek power, and power corrupts. With no guidance, no standard against which to judge his behavior man will fail. How could it be otherwise. We must follow the precepts of the Christian religion to be successful. It is these very precepts that founded our nation and have sustained it, it is time to reaffirm and acknowledge that truth. One Nation ,Under God.
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