Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Independence...Thank God!!
230 years ago today in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 56 brave men, putting their lives and the very lives of their families at risk, signed the Declaration of Independence and with the flourish of a pen, the United States of America was born as we claimed our independence from Great Britain.
As I contemplate the huge task these men took on in writing something that they (the continental congress) ultimately could agree upon and then sacrificed so greatly to uphold, I see what 230 years of wordsmithing, misinterpretation and outright lies have done to many of the documents that our nation was founded on. Every time I turn around, someone is trying to pull God out of America; The Ten Commandments, Prayer in School, The Pledge of Allegiance…and the list goes on.
Most of the trouble stems from purposeful or accidental misinterpretation of the First Amendment clause to the US Constitution which stated that, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of Religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Jefferson’s 1786 Act for Establishing Religious Freedom was a forerunner to the First Amendment of the Constitution. Thomas Jefferson fought against Virginia’s state-supported clergy and church, which had been common practice in Europe. He believed that each individual should be free to contribute according to his conscience to a pastor and church of his own choice, and that one’s religious beliefs should not in any way determine his suitability for civil government. Today, we see many who interpret the First Amendment in a manner our forefathers never intended and have made use of the term “Separation of Church and State” to mean that there could or should be no possible impact or influence of Christianity upon civil government or even upon education. The true meaning of the Establishment Clause can be stated in these terms – “Separation of Church from interference by the State.” The only time the expression “Separation of Church and State” was used by a founding father, is in an off-the-record, non-political letter written by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association. He wrote this letter on July l, 1802 replying to their public address which applauded his stance for establishing Religious Freedom. Jefferson prefaces his statement with an assurance to the Danbury Baptists that he concurs with their belief of man being accountable to God alone for his mode of worship, without the government’s coercion or interference:
…Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should “Make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” thus building a wall of separation between Church and State…
The wall of separation between Church and state of which Jefferson speaks, is clearly in reference to protecting religious worship from the government’s interference, and not the government being encroached upon by religious values. Furthermore, the Declaration of Independence itself concludes with an emphasis upon this new nation’s dependence upon God’s protective care:
…with a firm reliance upon the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.
It is seen, again and again in the founding fathers’ writings, that they stressed the need of biblical principles and Christian values as the framework for good government. Following are some examples to illustrate this:
Patrick Henry, called the firebrand of the American Revolution, is famous for his declaration, "Give me liberty or give me death." The context of his declaration has been omitted from current history texts. He actually said: "An appeal to arms and the God of hosts is all that is left us... There is a just God that presides over the destinies of nations... 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."
The following year, 1776, Henry wrote this: "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great Nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians ... on the Gospel of Jesus Christ." The name of Christ has become anathema in our society and in our government and our courts. And the Ten Commandments are regarded as a religious intrusion that has no place in public life and government. James Madison, the father of our Constitution, would be appalled at our disrespect for those commandments and in the recent judicial decisions to remove the Ten Commandments from the public arena.
Madison 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."
Fifty-two of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were orthodox, committed Christians. 24 of those brave men were graduates of seminary and bible colleges. It is clear to me that the greater majority of these men, with much prayer and fear and trembling, came before God at least individually if not collectively as they contemplated their decisions, their fates and their nation.
I love my country and I love my God. I pray that America doesn’t repeat the error that the nation of Israel in the Old Testament did time after time by forgetting God and what He had done for them (Judges 8:33-34 & Psalm 78:9-11)
If tomorrow all the things were gone
I'd worked for all my life,
And I had to start again
with just my children and my wife,
I'd thank my lucky stars
to be living here today,
'Cause the flag still stands for freedom
and they can't take that away.
I'm proud to be an American
where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the men who died
who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.
From the lakes of Minnesota
to the hills of Tennessee,
Across the plains of Texas
from sea to shining sea.
From Detroit down to Houston
and New York to L.A.,
There's pride in every American heart
and it's time we stand and say:
I'm proud to be an American
where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the men who died
who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.
This is Amy's story as seen and told by me - V
As I contemplate the huge task these men took on in writing something that they (the continental congress) ultimately could agree upon and then sacrificed so greatly to uphold, I see what 230 years of wordsmithing, misinterpretation and outright lies have done to many of the documents that our nation was founded on. Every time I turn around, someone is trying to pull God out of America; The Ten Commandments, Prayer in School, The Pledge of Allegiance…and the list goes on.
Most of the trouble stems from purposeful or accidental misinterpretation of the First Amendment clause to the US Constitution which stated that, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of Religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Jefferson’s 1786 Act for Establishing Religious Freedom was a forerunner to the First Amendment of the Constitution. Thomas Jefferson fought against Virginia’s state-supported clergy and church, which had been common practice in Europe. He believed that each individual should be free to contribute according to his conscience to a pastor and church of his own choice, and that one’s religious beliefs should not in any way determine his suitability for civil government. Today, we see many who interpret the First Amendment in a manner our forefathers never intended and have made use of the term “Separation of Church and State” to mean that there could or should be no possible impact or influence of Christianity upon civil government or even upon education. The true meaning of the Establishment Clause can be stated in these terms – “Separation of Church from interference by the State.” The only time the expression “Separation of Church and State” was used by a founding father, is in an off-the-record, non-political letter written by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association. He wrote this letter on July l, 1802 replying to their public address which applauded his stance for establishing Religious Freedom. Jefferson prefaces his statement with an assurance to the Danbury Baptists that he concurs with their belief of man being accountable to God alone for his mode of worship, without the government’s coercion or interference:
…Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should “Make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” thus building a wall of separation between Church and State…
The wall of separation between Church and state of which Jefferson speaks, is clearly in reference to protecting religious worship from the government’s interference, and not the government being encroached upon by religious values. Furthermore, the Declaration of Independence itself concludes with an emphasis upon this new nation’s dependence upon God’s protective care:
…with a firm reliance upon the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.
It is seen, again and again in the founding fathers’ writings, that they stressed the need of biblical principles and Christian values as the framework for good government. Following are some examples to illustrate this:
Patrick Henry, called the firebrand of the American Revolution, is famous for his declaration, "Give me liberty or give me death." The context of his declaration has been omitted from current history texts. He actually said: "An appeal to arms and the God of hosts is all that is left us... There is a just God that presides over the destinies of nations... 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."
The following year, 1776, Henry wrote this: "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great Nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians ... on the Gospel of Jesus Christ." The name of Christ has become anathema in our society and in our government and our courts. And the Ten Commandments are regarded as a religious intrusion that has no place in public life and government. James Madison, the father of our Constitution, would be appalled at our disrespect for those commandments and in the recent judicial decisions to remove the Ten Commandments from the public arena.
Madison 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."
Fifty-two of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were orthodox, committed Christians. 24 of those brave men were graduates of seminary and bible colleges. It is clear to me that the greater majority of these men, with much prayer and fear and trembling, came before God at least individually if not collectively as they contemplated their decisions, their fates and their nation.
I love my country and I love my God. I pray that America doesn’t repeat the error that the nation of Israel in the Old Testament did time after time by forgetting God and what He had done for them (Judges 8:33-34 & Psalm 78:9-11)
If tomorrow all the things were gone
I'd worked for all my life,
And I had to start again
with just my children and my wife,
I'd thank my lucky stars
to be living here today,
'Cause the flag still stands for freedom
and they can't take that away.
I'm proud to be an American
where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the men who died
who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.
From the lakes of Minnesota
to the hills of Tennessee,
Across the plains of Texas
from sea to shining sea.
From Detroit down to Houston
and New York to L.A.,
There's pride in every American heart
and it's time we stand and say:
I'm proud to be an American
where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the men who died
who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.
This is Amy's story as seen and told by me - V
# posted by Vince @ 4:54 PM 
