One Nation Under God But Paul said to
One Nation Under God
But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out. ” --Acts 16: 37 Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ. --1 Corinthians 11: 1
IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776. THE UNANIMOUS DECLARATION OF THE THIRTEEN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. WHEN, in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's GOD entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the Causes which impel them to the Separation. We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their CREATOR, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. -That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, …
“Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle. ” --George Washington “WEDNESDAY MORNING…Almighty and eternal Lord God, the great Creator of heaven and earth, and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; look down from heaven, in pity and compassion upon me Thy servant, who humbly prostrate myself before thee, sensible of Thy mercy and my own misery…Help all in affliction or adversity – give them patience and a sanctified use of their affliction, and in Thy good time, deliverance from them; forgive my enemies, take me unto Thy protection this day, keep me in perfect peace, which I ask in the name and for the sake of Jesus. Amen. ” --In his prayer journal in 1752
“The highest, the transcendent glory of the American Revolution was this—it connected, in one indissoluble bond, the principles of civil government with the precepts of Christianity. ” –John Quincy Adams
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America…. done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven and of the Independence of the United States of America the Twelfth In witness whereof We have hereunto subscribed our Names,
“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. ” --John Adams
“The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were. . the general principles of Christianity. ” --JOHN ADAMS “The teachings of the Bible are so interwoven and entwined with our whole civic and social life that it would be literally…. impossible for us to figure to ourselves what that life would be if these teaching --TEDDY ROOSEVELT were removed. ” “America was born a Christian nation – America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the revelations of Holy Scripture. ” --WOODROW WILSON “This is a Christian Nation. ” --HARRY TRUMAN
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ” --Matthew 28: 18 “The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)--you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. ” --Acts 10: 36, 37 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me. ” --John 14: 6 “Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth. ” --John 17: 17 But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and observe it. ” --Lk. 11: 28
Wisdom “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. ” --Proverbs 1: 7 “There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. ” --Proverbs 14: 12 “Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people. ” --Proverbs 14: 34
“If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we and our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity. ” --Daniel Webster
“The Pilgrims clearly stated that they came to the New World to glorify God and to advance the Christian faith. It could easily be said that America began with the words, “In the name of God. Amen. ” Those were the first words of our nation’s first selfgoverning document–the Mayflower Compact. ” “The education of the settlers and founders of America was uniquely Christian and Bible-based. ” --Kerby Anderson
“Christianity is the religion that shaped America and made her what she is today…. a Christian nation as demonstrated by the American experience is a nation founded upon Christian and Biblical principles, whose values, society, and institutions have largely been shaped by those principles. This definition was reaffirmed by American legal scholars and historians for generations…. ” --David Barton
What is a free society? “…a society in which human beings are not “born into” a place—a caste or an occupation, for example —but are free to own property, to raise children, to earn a living, to think, to worship, to express political views, and even to emigrate if desired, and to do so without seeking permission from a master. “Jesus and his followers taught men and women to think of themselves as significant in the eyes of God. This foundational principle of the dignity and sanctity of human beings was in stark contrast to the prevailing ideas of the day. ” -- John Danford
“When you look back on the history of social reform in our culture western culture in Europe and here in America you find a great amount of that social reform is directly related to Christianity. For example, the l 8 th century had many of what was called “evangelical awakenings. ” One who was greatly instrumental in those was John Wesley…. There was a great awakening in America in about 1725 to about 1775, and the result of it was the building of a number of American universities, which at that time were geared to educate the masses, but were built around religious themes. Christianity was at the core. ” --John Mac. Arthur
“A religious revival was the key factor in uniting the separate pre- Revolutionary War colonies. ” Paul Johnson, author of A History of the American People, reports that the Great Awakening may have touched as many as three out of four American colonists. He also points out that this Great Awakening “sounded the death-knell of British colonialism. ” As John Adams was to put it afterwards, “The Revolution was effected before the War commenced. The Revolution was in the mind and hearts of the people: and change in their religious sentiments of their duties and obligations. ” Paul Johnson believes that “The Revolution could not have taken place without this religious background. The essential difference between the American Revolution and the French Revolution is that the American Revolution, in its origins, was a religious event, whereas the French Revolution was an antireligious event. ” --Kirby Anderson
In 1739, Whitefield set out for a preaching tour of the American colonies. Whitefield selected Philadelphia—the most cosmopolitan city in the New World—as his first American stop. But even the largest churches could not hold the 8, 000 who came to see him, so he took them outdoors. Every stop along Whitefield's trip was marked by record audiences, often exceeding the population of the towns in which he preached. The spiritual revival he ignited, the Great Awakening, became one of the most formative events in American history. His last sermon on this tour was given at Boston Commons before 23, 000 people, likely the largest gathering in American history to that point.
Whitefield’s preaching wasn’t different just because of his style; his message was different too. Where other Anglican ministers emphasized religious ritual or moral living, Whitefield preached conversion. His hearers must be inwardly changed through faith in Jesus Christ for a personal salvation from sin, to experience a new birth through the Holy Spirit. That conversion and regeneration could be experienced in an instant, Whitefield preached, if only people would repent and believe.
J. C. Wenger says this: "Christianity burst into a corrupt world with a brilliantly new moral radiance. The moral level of society was dismal at the time of the New Testament, and sin prevailed in many form, and into this discouraged world came Christ and his Spirit transformed disciples, filled with holy joy, motivated by a love which the pagans could not grasp, and proclaiming good news, the message that God has provided a Savior…. These early Christians insisted on bringing all of life under the lordship of Christ. " “Life was cheap in the pre-Christian world -- murder, war, abortion, infant exposure -- people died in great numbers without anyone being very troubled in conscience. The early Christians brought a new concern into society at this very point. ”
“…the almost 200 years of American foreign missions has been one of the most consequential long-term movements in American history. “American missionaries played a crucial role in the rise of Christianity in East and South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, the Pacific Islands and of Protestantism in Central and South America—an epic tale of courage, sacrifice…. In the 19 th and 20 th centuries, missionaries opened professional doors to women both here and abroad, helped lead the attack on segregation in the United States upon their return, …and spread ideas about democracy, development, and medical education around the world. ” --Walter Russell Mead
American Bible Society History - Timeline 1816 Founding of the American Bible Society in New York City. 1817 Bibles were distributed to the crew of the USS John Adams, thus beginning a Scripture grant program to the armed services a program that continues today. 1823 The American Bible Society sent a gift of $1, 000 to the missionary William Carey to support his Scripture translation work in India. 1940 -1945 The American Bible Society provided more than 7. 4 million Scriptures to those serving in the U. S. armed forces during World War II. 1984 The American Bible Society provided more than 4 million Scriptures for distribution to athletes and spectators at the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
[A] contribution of Christianity is the belief in objective truth. For example, if there is no truth, then “there is no such thing as a just or proper foundation for political rule: whoever gets the power is by definition able to determine what is just or unjust, right or wrong. ” This nation was founded on the principle (as articulated in the Declaration of Independence) that there are self-evident truths. As Jesus taught his disciples, “you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8: 32).
“Although not all of America's great founding fathers were Bible-believing Christians, almost all of them were true creationists, believing that God had created the world and man and all natural systems. The colonies had been settled and developed largely by Christian people who had come to this continent to gain freedom to believe and do what the Bible taught, and they all acknowledged that the foundational belief was belief in special creation. The historian Gilman Ostrander reminds us that: ‘The American nation had been founded by intellectuals who had accepted a world view that was based upon Biblical authority as well as Newtonian science…. ’” --Henry Morris
The fact of creation was also clearly implied several times in the Declaration of Independence itself ("endowed by our Creator, " "created equal, " "Nature's God, " etc. )… Yet today, the Bible, Christianity, and creationism have been banned from the schools of the states which had been founded to teach these very truths! All this has been done in the name of a gross distortion of the First Amendment. The amendment which was intended to prevent the establishment of a particular national denomination (e. g. , Catholic, Anglican), has instead been so twisted as to establish evolutionary humanism as the quasi-official religion of our public institutions. --Henry Morris
“Secular Humanism, as the religion of the modern age, has penetrated virtually all walks of life and all disciplines, including the law…. For years Secular Humanists have used the public school system to teach generations of school children their doctrine and dogma. It has gained a dominant foothold in higher education including legal education. ” --John Conlan and John Whitehead, “The Establishment of the Religion of Secular Humanism and Its First Amendment Implications. ”
“I am convinced that the battle for humankind's future must be waged and won in the public school classroom by teachers that correctly perceive their role as proselytizers of a new faith: a religion of humanity that recognizes and respects the spark of what theologians call divinity in every human being. . . The classroom must and will become an arena of conflict between the old and new -- the rotting corpse of Christianity, together with all its adjacent evils and misery, and the new faith of humanism, resplendent with the promise of a world in which the never-realized Christian ideal of 'love thy neighbor' will finally be achieved. ” --John Dunphy, "A Religion for A New Age, " The Humanist, January/February 1983
“It is high time that people in general, and Biblebelieving Christians in particular, recognize the foundational significance of special creation. Creation is not merely a religious doctrine of only peripheral importance, as many people (even many evangelical Christians) seem to assume. Rather, it is the basis of all true science, of true Americanism, and of true Christianity. Evolutionism, on the other hand, is actually a pseudo-science masquerading as science. As such, it has been acclaimed as the "scientific" foundation of atheism, humanism, communism, fascism, imperialism, racism, laissez-faire capitalism, and a variety of cultic, ethnic and socalled liberal religions, by the respective founders and advocates of these systems. The creation/evolution issue is, in a very real sense, the most fundamental issue of all. ” --Henry Morris
He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm. --Proverbs 13: 20
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. “Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peckmeasure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. --Matthew 5: 13 -16
And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. --Galatians 6: 9, 10
First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. --1 Timothy 2: 1, 2
Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil. Wherefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. --Romans 13: 1 -7
Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be uncontentious, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. --Titus 3: 1 -7
Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. --Romans 12: 17
But Peter and the apostles answered and said, “We must obey God rather than men. ” --Acts 5: 29
“I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from The Savior of the world is communicated to us through this Book. ” ― Abraham Lincoln “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day. ”
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal…. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. --Abraham Lincoln November 19, 1863
When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses. ” --Neh. 4: 14 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. --Jude 3
Mount Katahdin
God Bless America, Land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her Thru the night with a light from above. From the mountains, to the prairies, To the oceans, white with foam God bless America, My home sweet home.
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