Forefathers honored God
I read Bob McGuinness’ recent letter on the separation of church and state with appreciation. Then came Craig McLaughlin’s letter of Dec. 13. I find it hard to understand Mr. McLaughlin and others who ignore the rich Christian heritage that came from our forefathers, so evident in our nation’s history, and instead take delight in searching for obscure words of negativity. His opinion that the “views of the Founding Fathers on religion and politics are much more in line with the ACLU’s than with Mr. McGuinness” is ludicrous. The meaning of the First Amendment, as history attests, has nothing to do with separating the moral aspects of the Christian religion from civil affairs. There is no mention of a freedom “from” religion. The First Amendment offers no support of a position that would outlaw religion just because it exists or offends those of a different religion or those who have no religion at all. And, as Mr. McGuiness mentioned in his letter, the First Amendment states, in referring to religion, that Congress cannot “prohibit the free exercise thereof.”
The Northwest Ordinance, enacted by the newly formed federal government in 1789, stated that “good government” must be based on some moral foundation: “Religion, morality and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall be forever encouraged.”
In contrast to Mr. McLaughlin’s cynicism, we have only to look around us to see the evidence that our country was indeed based on Christian principles. Our nation’s coins read “In God We Trust,” and the Supreme Court convenes with “God save the United States and this honorable court.” The words “In God We Trust” are inscribed in the House and Senate chambers and on the walls of the Capitol dome appear the words “The New Testament according to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
In the rotunda of the Capitol is a figure of the crucified Christ, and “The Baptism of Pocahontas at Jamestown” (1613) stands in the Capitol Rotunda. The Latin phrase Annuit Coeptis, “God has smiled on our undertaking,” is inscribed on the Great Seal of the United States and under the Seal is a phrase from Lincoln’s Gettysburg address: “This nation under God.” The Liberty Bell has a Scripture verse in a band around its top, and numerous Scripture verses line the walls in the stairwell of the Washington Monument. And the evidence goes on and on. Even our calendars reflect time by “The Year of our Lord.” Our founding fathers thought God’s precepts so important, they had them etched in stone for the coming generations, just as we all should strive to etch them on the hearts and minds of our children and grandchildren.
The Jefferson Memorial includes these words from Thomas Jefferson: “God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are a gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever.”
Yale College in the early 1700s stated as its primary goal that “every student shall consider the main end of his study to wit to know God in Jesus Christ and answerable to lead a Godly sober life.” Harvard stated as its goal for its students was to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life and therefore lay Christ at the bottom, as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning.”
Let’s pray that those who lead our country will realize the importance of honoring God, as did our forefathers, so that no more of our precious rights are taken away from us. This world would be a desolate place without Christianity.
Rosemary Fike
Uniontown