"Is
America One Nation under God?"
There is great confusion today in our country as to
whether or not we are a Christian nation. Most people are not even clear as to
what we mean by that statement.
It is my conviction, as a Christian, that the
Scriptures teach us to bring every area of culture under the Lordship of Christ.
Our duty as pastors and members of our church is to do all that we can to
promote the gospel of Jesus Christ and to apply the biblical principles and
laws of Christ and God’s Word to every facet of society. How will the nations
know what is morally right or wrong if there is no authority to which we point
people? Without the authority of the Word of God we are left to accept someone else’s
view and opinions. I believe the reason there is so much confusion today in our
country is because we do not have a consistent message that we present to the
nation. The authority for all moral and ethical positions rests on the Word of
God.
Years ago, I came across some information that was
helpful to me and I want to pass it on for our Berean family to read and
meditate upon. I trust that it will be a blessing to each of you.
Before you give these thoughts consideration let me
remind each of you to listen to the debate tonight night between the two candidates
who are running for the highest office in our land. I believe that the issues
will be clear as to where these two leaders stand on biblical issues. It is our
duty to be informed as much as possible in this critical hour of our nations
history. With that in mind, I trust the following comments will be a help to
you regarding our beloved country. There are scholars and educators who want us
to conclude that this republic was never a Christian nation and was never
intended to be a Christian nation. Is it true that our founding fathers just
wanted a land where all religions would be viewed as morally and ethically
equal? Can we really say that they had in mind this sort of pluralism? Here is
some information that I trust will help you with this question:
“Even a cursory examination of our nation’s history
belies this theory; yet many American Christians have accepted this falsehood
and are reluctant to become too involved in the political process else they be
accused of advocating a "theocracy" or imposing their beliefs upon
non-Christian Americans.Tolerance of other’s beliefs, or lack thereof, is
not only fundamental to American freedom and democracy, but it is also a
necessary ingredient of true Christianity. Our Creator, in His infinite wisdom,
gave us each and every one the freedom and responsibility of making a personal
decision to accept or reject the Lord Jesus as our personal savior. Therefore,
while it is incumbent upon us as Christians to spread the Gospel, and do
everything within our power to inform and educate non-believers about the
amazing saving grace of Jesus, we must remain tolerant of their God given right
and responsibility to make a personal decision.
However, this tolerance does not pre-empt our right
to defend and promote our beliefs and values, and it does not preclude our
right and responsibility to fully participate in the political process. It also
does not mean that we should allow anyone to destroy all that is decent and
good in America, or that we should be a party to the re-writing of our history,
or denial of the fact that this country was founded by Christian men and women
and built upon religious principles.
Our history books are filled with statements by our
great leaders—Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Webster, Lincoln, etc.—that
prove beyond doubt that they recognized the importance of religion in our
society, and realized that our republic could not succeed without it.
Perhaps the most profound analysis of the importance
of Christianity in America came from a non-American—the French philosopher
Alexis de Tocqueville—who visited America in the early 1830s to study our
democracy. De Tocqueville was overwhelmed by the influence and impact of
Christianity on our society, as documented in his great work "Democracy in
America."
Tocqueville wrote: "There is no country in the
world where the Christian religion retains a greater influence over the souls
of men than in America; and there can be no greater proof of its utility and
conformity to human nature than that its influence is powerfully felt over the
most enlightened and free nation of the earth." He is also thought to be
the originator of the following popular quotation: "Not until I went into
the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I
understand the greatness and the genius of America. America is good. And if
America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."
These truths are just as pertinent and imperative
today as they were when they were penned. Indeed, the consequences and results
of our failure to adhere to the Biblical principles and values that our nation
was founded upon are evident in the headlines of our newspapers every day.
In order for America to once again become great,
America must once again become good. This will only be accomplished by
Christian Americans doing their duty to God and country by becoming involved in
the political process and electing good, decent, moral, and Godly men and women
as their leaders.”
