In My View

Gene Speer

U.S. was founded as 'One Nation, Under God'

As I listen to the debate over the removal of the words, "One Nation Under God," from our Pledge, and consider the attempt by outsiders to have the Ten Commandments removed from our courthouse lawn, I can't help but ask myself, "What has happened to America?"

It would seem that those pursuing these actions have a distorted view of our history. Those who support these actions continually banter about this notion that our founding fathers were not Christian and that they did not intend for this to be a nation founded on Christ. Nothing could be further from the truth. They tell us that their concern is a constitutional one, dealing with the separation of church and state. Yet, you will not find in our Constitution any mention of the phrase "separation of church and state."

Interestingly enough, you do find that phrase in the constitution of the former U.S.S.R. Article 142. A little time in the library and on the internet will produce ample evidence for intellectually honest people to come to the conclusion, that our nation was founded on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a conclusion that is consistent with the facts of history.

Consider if you would a few of the words of our founding fathers. We all remember the impassioned words of Patrick Henry, when he ignited the flame that grew into the fires of revolution, "Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased with the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God. I know not what course other men may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death." These are the words that we all have learned from our history books, however the revisionists of our day are wanting to hide something from us. Patrick Henry also said, "It cannot be emphasized too much or repeated too strongly that America was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not upon religions, but upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

The father of our country, George Washington, read from the Bible at his inauguration, took his oath of office with his hand upon the Bible, and then leaned down and kissed the pages of God's Word. Immediately following his inauguration, as his first official act of office, he took the entire United States Senate, and House of Representatives to church for a two-hour worship service. Following the service, George Washington said the following:

"It would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official act my fervent supplication to that almighty Being who rules over the Universe, who presides in the counsels of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States. No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand which conducts the affairs more than the people of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency."

On Sept. 12, 1782, Congress contracted to have the Bible printed by Robert Aitken of Philadelphia. This edition was known as the "Bible of the Revolution" and was recommended to the inhabitants of the United States, and was described as "a neat edition of the Holy Scriptures for the use of schools."

Thomas Jefferson, while serving as president of the United States, became the chairman of the school board of the District of Columbia. One of the main textbooks he proposed for the curriculum was the Bible.

We in America have become so much wiser than our founding fathers that we have removed the Bible from the curriculum of our schools, we removed prayer, we took down the Ten Commandments from our school room walls, The result…our nation has become so morally weak that the divorce rate is nearing 60 percent, teen suicide has doubled, violent crime has increased five times, one third of all births in this nation are to women without husbands, 56 million Americans suffer from some sort of venereal disease, AIDS and abortion are common place.

And now the intellectual elite of our nation want to remove the Ten Commandments from our courthouse, and even from the front lawn of our courthouse. What do you suppose will be the result of that?

I suggest that we remember from whence we have come, and return.

Gene Speer is the associate pastor of First Baptist Church in Whitefish.