The Right is Right


Christianity and America

by Wesley Thoene
September 2003
Christianity and America
Before I begin this months column, I'd like to state that I am a very patriotic American. I was an Eagle Scout, and one of the biggest regrets of my life so far is not enlisting for military service. The message contained in this column may sound anti-American to some extent, but believe me, I am still proud to call myself an American

For many Christian Americans, each day was easy. We faced little persecution in this great country, and few people were discriminated against simply for their beliefs. Lately, though, the left-wing of the establishment, spearheaded by the ACLU, has begun attacking the Christian foundation this country was laid upon. After seeing attempts to remove "In God We Trust" and "Under God" fail, they have now begun an attack on the monument of the 10 Commandments which rests in the Alabama Judicial Building.

First off, let me state that I believe this country was founded upon Christian principles- and that being a Christian and being an American go hand-in-hand. However, instances like those listed above illustrate how people are trying to tear this apart. America's motives are usually just, and I'll gladly take our record of humanity against that of any other country. Even the Iraq War was justified, as it helped others (Think of the Good Samaritan parable: Would the Samaritan have been helping the victim by only giving him money, then walking away, leaving him along side the road to be robbed and beaten again? That's what years of aid to Iraqis did- it gave more money to the robbers, i.e. Saddam, while not caring for the victims.) This column will examine the issues of why God bothers people, the beliefs of the Founding Fathers and the purpose of the "separation clause," and finally, what recent events mean for Christians and the church. Only by examing these issues can we understand the problem and defeat those who are trying to rip apart the moral center of our country.

We begin our examination by asking why the term God "offends" people? All religions- except 2- have some sort of central being. Thus, the term "God" should not offend them. One of the aforementioned exceptions is polytheists who believe in multiple gods; however, they, too, believe in one supreme god with power over the others. Also, their numbers are so small in the U.S. that their opinion should not influence any type of policy. The second exception is atheists. Atheists, of course, do not believe in God. So why are they offended? I mean, believe it or not, there is a group of people out there who believe the 1969 moon landing was fake (they believe it was done in a TV studio). Did these people attempt to ban the Ohio state quarter because it contained a picture of an astronaut? No- because they believed it didn't happen, they were complacent to this issue. If it didn't happen and wasn't real to them, then why should it really bother them? They had nothing to lose either way. I don't believe King Kong is real and if he were to appear on money, it would not offend me. The same logic applies to atheists. So, they, too lose nothing (except their souls- but that's beside the point).

My next point is to look at the "separation clause" in the Constitution- the "separartion of church and state" that liberals mindlessly keep screaming everytime something does not go their way. Despite what public education now teaches, the Founding Fathers were deeply religious men. This clause was not meant to be an "opt-put" cluase on Christianity in America, but it was placed into the Constitution to prevent outbreaks of violence and discrimination like those caused by the Church of England when it gave preferential treatment to its own members. It was not meant to make us a religiously deficient country; instead, it was meant to encourage different denominations of the Christian faith by preventing domestic factionalism. Do liberals really believe that a man who said "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible" would approve of the removal of the 10 Commandments? (That quote is from George Washington.) Even Thomas Jefferson, a noted Democrat who wanted less government power and has been painted as an atheist, once said: "Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever."

Jefferson's buddy, James Madison- WHO WROTE THE CONSTITUTION, said: "We have staked the future of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government; upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God." This is the man who wrote the Constitution and its "separation clause"! Do liberals really think he would support the removal of that monument based on this quote?

I think the previous quotes and others display that the removal of Christianity from our society is an argument which was not intended by our Founding Fathers, but it has been dredged up by liberals with their own motives. Let's suppose, though, that the liberals manage to somehow win their arguments of the Founding Fathers' intentions, and that God is taken away from the rest of society (like he was taken away from schools several decades ago). Anymore, that is a very real possibility. What does this mean for Christians? Nothing! It will mean a divergence between being an American (where we can't celebrate our faith and mention God) and being a good Christian, to be sure. But which are we- Americans, or Christians-if we can't be both? I was shocked when a professor of mine, one who is a devout Christian, told me "under God" was unconstitutional and should be removed. Using liberal logic, an opinion like this could be upheld in courts- but as Christians who are being told not to acknowledge God by our country, where does our loyalty lie?

The answer should be simple. Afterall, on Judgment Day, we will not be judged by Madison, Jefferson, or other liberals, past or present, on our understanding and use of their Constitution. No, we will be judged by God on His Word- a Word which tells us to let our faith shine, to make disciples of all nations, and to give praise to God. It is on such a point we must realize we are Christians first, Americans second.

However, the left-wing hasn't been proven right yet, and the battle over God in our daily lives is still being waged. So what can we do? My concern with the church today is the complacencty it exhibits. Other than a handful of locals in Montgomery, no one is rallying around Alabama like they should be. Two thousand years ago, Peter and Paul had to sneak in and out of cities to tell of Jesus, share their faith, and ESTABLISH Christianity. Today, an organized church will not even mobilize to STOP the removal of that same faith. Why? Because someone might get upset, and nonbelievers might actually have to be exposed to God. Nevermind that Peter and Paul, by spreading the Gospel, angered many people and were beaten. Nevermind that Jesus angered people by casting out moneychangers at the temple, and this led up to his crucifixion. The point is these men operated in a closed society, and that today in an open society, a large section of the church is unwilling to mobilize its resources and stop the demands of a vocal minority. That is why we as individuals must speak out against the removal of God from our pledge, and fight to get Him back into schools. We must pray, argue, and be vigilant to stand up for that which we believe.

In closing, I would like to share a point made by Rev. Pat Robertson. Following 9/11, Rev. Robertson said he felt that God's removal from society led to the attack. I agree with this- the Old Testament is filled with mighty kingdoms, empires, and countries who became full of arrogance and turned away from God. Because of this God humbled them and even destroyed several of them. Look around today- abortion is rampant, alternative lifestyles are being accepted, God has been taken out of schools, and more changes could be heading our way. Thomas Jefferson was right on one point- "His justice cannot sleep forever"- and THAT is what has me worried.

June's column- "The Hypocricy of the Middle East Road Map to Peace"
May's column- "The Liberal Bill of Rights"
April's column- "The Moral Justification of a War against Iraq"
March's column- "The Liberals and the Little Guy"

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