One Nation Under God
One Nation Under God
CIRCUIT RIDER NEWS By Dr. D. M. Hardison Published 3rd Qtr 2012
That nation is the United States of America. A nation where untold numbers of people from other nations dreamed of making this nation their homeland.
Many immigrants came here to find freedom and opportunities. Most were successful. They were not afraid of work. For the most part, they were God fearing people.!
The founding fathers seemed to clearly make known their thoughts that our nation’s greatness was due to its relationship to God. For example, in 1778, James Madison, addressing the General Assembly of the State of Virginia said, “We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We’ve staked the future of all our political institutions upon our capacity…to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.” In 1828, Noah Webster, wrote these words relative to George Washington: “Literary power and statesmanship were combined in George Washington, the greatest political leader of his time and also the greatest intellectual and moral force of the Revolutionary period. Everybody knows Washington as a quiet member of the Virginia Assenbly, of the two Continental Congresses and of the Constitutional Convention. Few people realize that he was also the most voluminous American writer of his period, and that his principles of government have had more influence on the development of the American commonwealth than those of any other man.” In 1781, Thomas Jefferson, in his notes on the State of Virginia said this, “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 of the gift of 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: that His justice cannot sleep forever;…” In 1783, George Washington sent in a letter to the governors of the states regarding disbanding the army. He wrote: “I now make it my earnest prayer that God would have you and the State over which you preside, in His holy protection, that he would incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for brethren who have served in the field; and, finally, that he would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind, which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation.” Washington wrote in 1792. “I am sure there never was a people, who had more reason to acknowledge a divine interposition in their affairs, than those of the United States; and I should be pained to believe, that they have forgotten that agency, which was so often manifested during our revolution, or that they failed to consider the omnipotence of that God, who is alone able to protect them.” In the original manuscript of his speech at the 1787 Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin said: “God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings that “except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.” I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel.”
Time Passes – Things Change
The early pioneers of this country were strong in their faith and determined to maintain their freedom. A goal to “form a more perfect union” was no small challenge. In the early deliberations, little progress was being made to put in order those documents which would give its people liberty, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and equal protection under the law. Benjamin Franklin rose to call that body of men to their knees to beg the favor of almighty God to assist them to accomplish their task. It is reported that there was a remarkable improvement in the further deliberations to form that more perfect union. For many years the United States of America was known as a Christian nation. Eventually the Supreme Court was called upon to determine if this nation was in fact a Christian nation. In order to correctly make such a declaration, they examined all documents that shed any light upon this question. For more than a year they researched these papers. At the end of this exhaustive search, a unanimous decision was rendered, declaring, this is a Christian nation!
The late Dr. James Kennedy in his preaching and writing, reported that in the very late 1800, more than 98% of our citizens professed to be Christians. Liberal theology began to drift into the pulpits of the United States from Europe. A rash of new bible translations began to appear. Most if not all were influenced by Westcot and Hort. Both the translators and the manuscripts used in these versions are not credible in the eyes of conservative scholars. The method used in translating the new versions were different from the translators of the Authorized or better known as the King James Version. Over time and liberal theology our nation is far different than it used to be. For example, as a young child I can never remember a door to our house being locked if we were at home or if we were gone even out of town or out of state. It is different now, we never leave the car unlocked and we dead bolt the door when we go inside the house. At school we never faced any physical danger unless we got slightly hurt on the playground at recess or lunch time. I remember on one occasion I was standing too close behind a batter and was hit in the socket of my eye as he swung the bat. I was carried home by one of my teachers but there was no ill effect to my eye. Now kids bring knives, guns, etc. In some schools a metal detector is there for each person to pass through daily. At more than one school we have had killings by fellow students. Morals are now practiced like animals and fowl on a barnyard level, unrestrained and public. Divorce must have become bothersome, so now they do not bother to get married. It is reported that more than 50% of all babies are born to unmarried mothers. Those couples that do marry, rather than divorce, will often murder their mate or hire someone else to do it. To those that read and study their bible or attend a bible believing fundamental church; should not be shocked at these things because God has, through the scriptures, already revealed that they would come.
