[Enjoyed celebrating our nation’s birthday last week, so here is a
compilation of thoughts on our “real” roots often missing in modern
textbooks]
Did you know that 52 of the 55 signers of The Declaration of Independence
were orthodox, deeply committed Christians? The other three all believed in
the Bible as the divine truth, the God of scripture, and His personal
intervention.
It is the same congress that formed the American Bible Society. Immediately
after creating the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress
voted to purchase and import 20,000 copies of scripture for the people of
this nation.
Patrick Henry, who is called the firebrand of the American Revolution, is
still remembered for his words, “Give me liberty or give me death.” But in
current textbooks the context of these words is deleted. Here is what he
said: “An appeal to arms and the God of hosts is all that is left us. But we
shall not fight our battle alone. There is a just God that presides over the
destinies of nations. The battle sir, is not of the strong alone. Is life so
dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and
slavery? Forbid it almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but
as for me, give me liberty, or give me death.”
Was Patrick Henry a Christian? The following year, 1776, he wrote this “It
cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was
founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, people of other faiths have
been afforded freedom of worship here.”
Consider these words that Thomas Jefferson wrote on the front of his well-
worn Bible: “I am a Christian, that is to say a disciple of the doctrines of
Jesus. I have little doubt that our whole country will soon be rallied to
the unity of our Creator and, I hope, to the pure doctrine of Jesus also.”
Consider these words from George Washington, the Father of our Nation, in
his farewell speech on September 19, 1796: “It is impossible to govern the
world without God and the Bible. Of all the dispositions and habits that
lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are the
indispensable supporters. Let us with caution indulge the supposition that
morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both
forbid us to expect that our national morality can prevail in exclusion of
religious principle.”
Was George Washington a Christian? Consider these words from his personal
prayer book: “Oh, eternal and everlasting God, direct my thoughts, words and
work. Wash away my sins in the immaculate blood of the lamb and purge my
heart by the Holy Spirit. Daily, frame me more and more in the likeness of
thy son, Jesus Christ, that living in thy fear, and dying in thy favor, I
may in thy appointed time obtain the resurrection of the justified unto
eternal life. Bless, O Lord, the whole race of mankind and let the world be
filled with the knowledge of thy son, Jesus Christ.”
Consider these words by John Adams, our second president, who also served as
chairman of the American Bible Society. In an address to military leaders he
said, “We have no government armed with the power capable of contending with
human passions, unbridled by morality and true religion. Our constitution
was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to
the government of any other.”
How about our first Court Justice, John Jay? He stated that when we select
our national leaders, if we are to preserve our Nation, we must select
Christians. “Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers
and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian
Nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.”
John Quincy Adams, son of John Adams, was the sixth U.S. President. He was
also the chairman of the American Bible Society, which he considered his
highest and most important role. On July 4, 1821, President Adams said, “The
highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one
indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of
Christianity.”
In 1782, the United States Congress voted this resolution: “The congress of
the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all
schools.” William Holmes McGuffey is the author of the McGuffey Reader,
which was used for over 100 years in our public schools with over 125
million copies sold until it was stopped in 1963. President Lincoln called
him the “Schoolmaster of the Nation.”
Listen to these words of Mr. McGuffey: “The Christian religion is the
religion of our country. From it are derived our notions on character of
God, on the great moral Governor of the universe. On its doctrines are
founded the peculiarities of our free institutions. From no source has the
author drawn more conspicuously than from the sacred Scriptures. From all
these extracts from the Bible I make no apology.”
Of the first 108 universities founded in America, 106 were distinctly
Christian, including the first. Harvard University, chartered in 1636. In
the original Harvard Student Handbook rule number 1 was that students
seeking entrance must know Latin and Greek so that they could study the
scriptures:
“Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider
well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ,
which is eternal life, John 17:3; and therefore to lay Jesus Christ as the
only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning. And seeing the Lord
only giveth wisdom, let everyone seriously set himself by prayer in secret
to seek it of him (Proverbs 2:3).” For over 100 years, more than 50% of all
Harvard graduates were pastors!
Most of what you’ve just read has been erased from our textbooks.
Revisionists have rewritten history to remove the truth about our country’s
Christian roots.
Now you know the rest of the story.
~~
Dr Bob Griffin, www.grif.net
“Jesus knows me, this I love”