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Over the years I have heard many Pastors talk and read many blogs as well that state emphatically that politics and church should not be mixed together. Inevitably you always hear someone start shouting "separation of church and state" and the conversation usually stops there. I have a different opinion and I would encourage you to just hear me out before you start calling me all the names that "my kind" gets called. Let me say on the front of this that I can't just believe the part of the constition that I want and disagree with the parts that I don't like. I know that if I really believe what it says in the First Ammendment then you are just as free to say and believe what you want as I am to say and believe what I want.
In the past few years I have noticed what I have entitled "The Degradation of Society". I have watched as God has been removed from more and more of our lives by our government bowing down to the Anti-God squeaky wheels that always seem to make enough noise to make people think that they represent the majority of the citizens of the U.S. The truth is they don't. But it is a documented fact that the "Conservative Christian" is usually the one who sits by and does very little other than complain in our own circles and talk about "how we can't believe that this country is changing". We talk about how "I never would have thought I would see this in my lifetime" and continue to be amazed and continue to do nothing, hence the term, the SILENT MAJORITY. Well, those days must be over with. If you are one of the people that aren't educated in your government and how it works from the local level to the President of the U.S., then you should change that today. It is our job, duty, obligation, privilege, whatever word you choose to insert there to now take our country back and get it headed once again in the direction that it was intended to go.
Intended to go. When I say this to people, some ask what makes me think that I know what direction the country was "intended to go"? It's really very simple, our Founding Fathers left explicit instructions on why they set up this new nation the way they did and how it was to continue on in that principle. To anyone with an open mind (I realize I just omited a lot of people that like to talk about this topic) the evidence is simply overwhelming. I would like to give some "common sense" examples without going into the many, many instances. Speaking of Common Sense, how far will you get in Thomas Paine's great pamphlet before you encounter God? He spends several pages recounting the history of the Hebrew people and their leadership. He then goes on to say;
"But where says some is the King of America? I'll tell you Friend, he reigns above, and doth not make havoc of mankind like the Royal Brute of Britain. Yet that we may not appear to be defective even in earthly honors, let a day be solemnly set apart for proclaiming the charter; let it be brought forth placed on the divine law, the word of God; let a crown be placed thereon, by which the world may know, that so far as we approve as monarchy, that in America THE LAW IS KING."
I could continue on in Common Sense which is considered by ALL as one the first and major writings that led to the independence of the greatest country in the world, the young United States of America. But let's move on since this is not an in-depth look but simply the common man's common sense approach. I want to include an excerpt from an article that I read which I thought was very, very well written. You know how sometimes when you read something and say "I could not have said that any better myself"? Well, this is one of those articles. The author may surprise you a little bit but you will soon realize that he has studied and armed himself with truth and makes an excellent case.
"I also believe in the First Amendment, which reads: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The American Civil Liberties Union and like-minded groups are not preserving First Amendment rights; they are perverting the meaning of the Establishment Clause (which was to prevent the creation of a national church, such as the Church of England) to deny the Free Exercise Clause (which preserves our right to worship as we want, privately and publicly). Both clauses were intended to safeguard religious liberty, not to circumscribe its practice. The Framers were seeking to guarantee a freedom of religion, not a freedom from religion.
I agree with John Jay -- the first chief justice of the United States , appointed by George Washington -- who wrote to Jedidiah Morse Feb. 28, 1797 (the same year the Treaty of Tripoli was ratified): " 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 Chris tian nation to select and prefer Chris tians for their rulers." I believe that we should not fear religious diversity, but we never should forget we were born a Chris tian nation.
Under Article VI, Section 3 of the new Constitution, denominational tests for public office were prohibited, but the idea that Judeo- Chris tian ideas and practices must be kept separate from government would have struck our Founders as ridiculous because the very basis for the Founders' ideas were rights that were endowed upon all of us by our Creator.
Many may not realize there was an active clergyman (Presbyterian minister John Witherspoon) among the signers of the Declaration of Independence. And two others had been ministers previously. Others were sons of clergymen. Virtually all were Protestants.
Even signers of the Constitution included Abraham Baldwin, a minister. Others had studied religion but never were ordained. And again, most signers of the Constitution were also Protestants. Two, Charles Carroll and Thomas Fitzsimons, were Roman Catholics.
I, too, respect all religions but adhere to one. I believe what Benjamin Rush -- a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a member of the presidential administrations of Adams, Jefferson and Madison -- wrote: "Such is my veneration for every religion that reveals the attributes of the Deity, or a future state of rewards and punishments, that I had rather see the opinions of Confucius or Mohammed inculcated upon our youth, than see them grow up wholly devoid of a system of religious principles. But the religion I mean to recommend in this place is that of the New Testament."
Like George Washington, I don't believe we can maintain morality and civility apart from a religious foundation: "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. … Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."
Mostly, I believe in the collection of beliefs stated so poetically in the Apostles' Creed: "I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Chris t His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried; he descended to the grave: the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from where he will come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy Chris tian church; the fellowship of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and eternal life. Amen."
No Holy Week hesitations here. His name is Jesus, and I believe he was born into this world to die for the sins of mankind, that whosoever believes in him shall have eternal life -- just as I chose to do decades ago at a Billy Graham crusade in Los Angeles . "
(Excerpt from article entitled "Is Obama Afraid of the J-Word?" by Churck Norris. Article appeared on www.humanevents.com on 4/07/09) |
It should be impossible for someone to read the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and any other documents associated with the "founding" of the United States and not see that we are founded and built upon Judeo-Christian values. So really it would be a bigger "leap of faith" to believe that the country is NOT built upon these values rather than believe the obvious, that it indeed is.
Thomas Jefferson, the great statesman from Virginia and one of the major players in the founding of our country was an interesting man. Some may even say that he was "controversial" in some of his views. But if you look at him as a whole instead of pulling out pieces that fit a specific stance you will see without a doubt that he believed in God and believed that this young nation must be built upon the foundations of religion, Christianity in particluar. Thomas Jefferson is noted for some things which include the writing of the Declaration of Independence and input on the Constitution that resulted in him authoring the First Ammendment. "Freedom of Speech" is what most know it as but it also houses within it the wording from which we get the term "seperation of church and state". Here is a snippet of an artricle ("Jefferson Advocated 'Gate' between Church and State") written by Todd DuBord that appeared on WorldNetDaily.com on Feb. 21,2007 addressing the subject. You can read a lot more information about Mr. DuBorg's research at his site, www.nationaltreasures.org.
But when he (Thomaso Jefferson) was called on to express his beliefs, such as in recommending a seal for the U.S., Jefferson first suggested one that reflected the "children of Israel in the Wilderness, led by a Cloud by Day, and Pillar of Fire by night…" DuBord found.
Does such a symbol, he asked, "seem like they could come from those who are ardently in favor of the separation of Church and State?" And from a man, who two days after writing the letter to the Danbury Baptists, would attend a worship service inside the U.S. House of Representatives?
"Can anyone today see a president taking such Christian actions, signing such treaties, or using governmental monies to further 'promote Christianity' as Jefferson did?" asked DuBord. "Does his intermingling of religion and politics seem like deeds of the 'Thomas Jefferson' so often conveyed today in educational circles and at Monticello?
"If Thomas Jefferson espoused a wall of separation between Church and State, he also breached it, by merging Christianity and politics over and over again," DuBord said.
He said perhaps the best summary of the relation between government and Christianity during a time when Jefferson was heavily involved in that government that comes from the Library of Congress.
The Continental-Confederation Congress, a legislative body that governed the United States from 1774 to 1789, contained an extraordinary number of deeply religious men. The amount of energy that Congress invested in encouraging the practice of religion in the new nation exceeded that expended by any subsequent American national government. Although the Articles of Confederation did not officially authorize Congress to concern itself with religion, the citizenry did not object to such activities. This lack of objection suggests that both the legislators and the public considered it appropriate for the national government to promote a nondenominational, nonpolemical Christianity.
Congress appointed chaplains for itself and the armed forces, sponsored the publication of a Bible, imposed Christian morality on the armed forces, and granted public lands to promote Christianity among the Indians. National days of thanksgiving and of "humiliation, fasting, and prayer" were proclaimed by Congress at least twice a year throughout the war. Congress was guided by "covenant theology," a Reformation doctrine especially dear to New England Puritans, which held that God bound himself in an agreement with a nation and its people. This agreement stipulated that they "should be prosperous or afflicted, according as their general Obedience or Disobedience thereto appears." Wars and revolutions were, accordingly, considered afflictions, as divine punishments for sin, from which a nation could rescue itself by repentance and reformation. "While he was an advocate for the separation of the State from aligning with any specific national Church, he was not attempting to neuter government from Christian influence," DuBord said. In fact, Jefferson wrote in 1781: "The God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift from God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, and that His justice cannot sleep forever." |
If Thomas Jefferson's intentions were to truly keep religion out of government as some tend to think then it would be very hard to explain this quote from Jefferson, "The reason that Christianity is the best friend of government is because Christianity is the only religion that changes the heart.". And it would be hard for someone to make that statement that did not actually believe it. Near the end of his life, Jefferson said in letters to Dr. Benjamin Waterhouse, on June 26, 1822; to William Canby, on Sept. 18, 1813; and to Charles Thomson, on Jan. 9, 1816, that:
"The doctrines of Jesus are simple, and tend to all the happiness of man… Of all the systems of morality, ancient or modern which have come under my observation, none appears to me so pure as that of Jesus… I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus."
As for other founding fathers and how they felt about "religion in government", let's look at some of their quotes as well.
George Washington, the father of our nation said, "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible." Isaac Potts, who was Washington's temporary landlord at Valley Forge the winter of 1777-78, gave a famous account of Washington's resolution. As Potts was traveling the dark forest, he heard some distance from him a voice that became more intense as he approached its origin. As Potts approached, he saw the Commander-in-Chief of the armies of the United Colonies on his knees in prayer to the Creator and Ruler of the Universe. Washington was praying for the new nation, for guidance, and for the men under his command. Potts, a Quaker, returned to his home and his wife where he declared, " I have seen this day what I shall never forget. Till now I have thought that a Christian and a soldier were incompatible; but if George Washington be not a man of God, I am mistaken, and still more shall I be disappointed if God does not through him perform some great thing for his country. "
Patrick Henry, the great orator who said on the floor of the House of Burgesses in Virginia, " Give me liberty or give me death " also said, "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians, not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ! For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here".
John Adams of Massachusetts, a lawyer and the second president, wrote in a letter to Jefferson on June 28, 1813. He said, " The general principles on which the Fathers achieved independence, were . . . the general principles of Christianity. "
Samuel Adams, cousin of John Adams, is called the "Father of the American Revolution." He incited the Boston Tea Party, signed the Declaration of Independence and called for the first Continental Congress. He said as the Declaration of Independence was being signed, " We have this day restored the Sovereign to whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising to the setting of the sun, let His kingdom come. " Samuel Adams also said, " First of all, I ... rely upon the merits of Jesus Christ for a pardon of all my sins. "
Political Science professors at the University of Houston, curious about who influenced the founders, gathered 15,000 quotes made by them. The effort took over ten years. They reduced the number to those that had a significant impact on the founding fathers and the result was 3,154 quotes. They determined that the Bible was quoted far more than any other source. Thirty-four percent of all quotes were from the Bible, and another 60% of the quotes were from men who were using the Bible to make their point. God's word was important to the nation's founders.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, that to secure these rights governments are instituted among men."
These are not the words of Abraham Lincoln as most people think. When President Lincoln used these words in a speech he was only repeating them in order to reinforce them. These words appear in the second paragraph of a document called "The Declaration of Independence". Creator? In God We Trust is our national motto.
So what else can be said? I think the point is aptly made and irrefutable lest you make that leap of faith that we discussed earlier. But you know what? Because this is America and because God was leading our Forefathers when they constructed this county and to be more specific, because of Thomas Jefferson's role in writing the First Ammendment........you have the freedom to make that leap and choose what you want to believe. You may not know that there is a law in place which states that no building in the Washington D.C. area can be taller than the Washington Monument that looks over our nation's capitol. You may not know that the capstone on the Washington monument has a phrase written in Latin, "Laus Deo" which being translated means "Praise Be to God". In honor of the man known throughout all our history books in the U.S. as "The father of our Nation" a phrase which represented his life, his beliefs, his professed guidance and his intentions of government stands tall to watch over our nation.........................as it was "INTENDED TO GO."
If you choose to attend Grace Connection and worship the Lord with us then you will hear about a Savior who loves you and died for you, you will hear about the govenrment of the United States of America, because regardless of popular belief by some...............they go together. Separation of church and state was written with the intention of keeping the government out of the church, not to keep the church out of government. America , it's time to return to what made this country the greatest nation of all time, God Almighty, our Creator, our Lord and Savior!
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV |
