Godly Foundation of America

American Bible Society ^ | July 2, 2007 | Rev. Dr. Paul G. Irwin

[fgoodwin]

Godly Foundation of America

http://www.bibles.com/absport/news/item.php?id=206

Rev. Dr. Paul G. Irwin
President
American Bible Society

New York, NY, July 2, 2007

The Fourth of July provides an excellent opportunity to think about the principles that were the foundation of this country. Even though a recent Gallup Poll shows that nine out of ten Americans believe in God, strangely enough there are those who are convinced that the bedrock of the creation of the United States is based solely on secular principles rather than religious ones.

There is a reason why the Ten Commandments, Scripture quotations and beautiful artwork depicting biblical scenes are in this country's Capitol, the Supreme Court and other federal buildings. Our early U.S. Presidents were strong believers in God. For instance, President John Quincy Adams became one of the Presidents of the American Bible Society. He wrote, in an address to the Bible Society, "The Bible carries with it the history of the creation, the fall and redemption of man, and discloses to him, in the infant born at Bethlehem, the legislator and savior of the world."

Our Declaration of Independence was, undoubtedly, a political document. But it also emerged in a time when the Bible was the principal literary record. The Bible had a powerful influence on the thoughts contained in the Declaration and this fact shouldn't be ignored. While the words in the Declaration did not come directly from the Bible, the sentiment that was underneath what was expressed came from the one book that was read throughout the colonies - the Bible.

It has been said that human government needs God and faith to survive; I couldn’t agree more. The Declaration pointedly says what will provide success: "With a prayer of reliance on divine providence..." George Washington noted, "...religion and morality are indispensable supports... let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion..."

Early on, the Bible came with settlers to Jamestown and Plymouth. The colonists brought their Bibles as they immigrated to a new land. When the Revolution came, the influence of the Bible was deep and profound. The signers of the Declaration of Independence knew their Bible well.

A shortage of Bibles was created when the War for Independence raged because there was no trade with England, from which most Bibles came. The newly-constituted Continental Congress had a committee that reported "the use of the Bible is so universal and its importance so great that... the committee recommends that Congress will order the Committee of Commerce to import 20,000 Bibles." The Bibles were to come from Holland, Scotland and elsewhere "into the parts of the States of the Union." And the Congress gave such an order on September 11, 1777. The President of the Continental Congress was Elias Boudinot, who also was the chief founder of the American Bible Society and its first President.

None of this is to suggest that America was founded as a theocracy or that religion should direct national policy. However, people who believe in God can make a powerful witness to equality, fairness, decency and charity. The authors of the United States of America believed in God and in religious liberty. Faith and the Bible are not to be banished from the public square if we are to honor the power of faith to change lives for the better and to create a society where all are created equal and can be part of the "pursuit of happiness."

It was James Madison who said, "We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government... according to the Ten Commandments of God." Abraham Lincoln was clear about his beliefs, saying, "We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven... But we have forgotten God. We have vainly imagined that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own."

We should remember a tradition started by George Washington. Our first President was sworn into office with his hand on an open Bible. At the conclusion of his oath he closed his eyes and said, in a prayerful voice, "So help me God." As he uttered those words he kissed the Bible.

Even the Liberty Bell has a biblical tie. These words are inscribed on the bell: "Proclaim Liberty through all the land to all the inhabitants thereof - Levitt. xxv 10."

The Bible has, indeed, played an essential role in the creation of the United States and it continues to provide the moral compass for our nation. As Andrew Jackson was dying, he looked at the family Bible and said to his doctor, "That book, sir, is the rock on which our Republic rests."

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About the American Bible Society

Founded in 1816 and headquartered in New York City, the mission of the American Bible Society is to make the Bible available to every person in a language and format each can understand and afford, so that all people may experience its life-changing message. The American Bible Society Web site is www.bibles.com

[fgoodwin]

Does this qualify for the Anglican ping list? Many of the Founding Fathers were Anglicans then Episcopalians.

[ears_to_hear]

Most were Calvinists.

That is the heart of the idea of checks and balances.

[Huber]

Thanks to fgoodwin for the ping.

Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams.

FReepmail Huber or sionnsar if you want on or off this moderately high-volume ping list (sometimes 3-9 pings/day).
This list is pinged by Huber and sionnsar.

Resource for Traditional Anglicans: http://trad-anglican.faithweb.com
Humor: The Anglican Blue

Speak the truth in love. Eph 4:15

[AnAmericanMother]

Actually, I think they were about equally divided between Congregationalists (New England), Presbyterians (Middle Atlantic) and Anglicans/Episcopalians (the South).

Madison, the Father of the Constitution, was an Episcopalian.

[fgoodwin]

I’m sure you are right. According to this Episcopal bulletin insert, many of the founding fathers were Episcopalians:

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/eLife_insert_063007_8.5x11.pdf

George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry attended Bruton Parish, Williamsburg, VA when the legislature was in session.

John Penn, George and Martha Washington, Benjamin Franklin (who is buried in the churchyard), Robert Morris, Francis Hopkinson and Dr. Thomas Bond attended Christ Church, Philadelphia, PA during the Constitutional Convention.

And Alexander Hamilton is buried at Trinity Church, New York City.

Its really sad to think of the current state of the church, given the influence it had two hundred years ago.

[AlbionGirl]

I have a deep and abiding love for the Founding Fathers. I see their flaws, they may have even told us a 'Noble Lie', but they are without historical equal, in my view.

Benjamin Franklin said that he who would bring primitive Christianity to bear (read: the Sermon on the Mount or the blueprint for living it, 1 Cor. 13) would change the face of the world. For our Fathers who did not confess Christ, let us pray for the Extraordinary Grace of God, which I'm quite sure He takes pleasure in extending. I've always bristled at the phrase, 'God's good pleasure' it always seemed too human for me, but maybe I'm wrong. Our Fathers are also Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt. Here's a short 'Preaching Letter' from TR ((1858–1919) to his kids:

A PREACHING LETTER White House, Oct. 2, 1903.

DEAR KERMIT:

I was very glad to get your letter. Am glad you are playing football. I should be very sorry to see either you or Ted devoting most of your attention to athletics, and I haven't got any special ambition to see you shine overmuch in athletics at college, at least (if you go there), because I think it tends to take up too much time; but I do like to feel that you are manly and able to hold your own in rough, hardy sports. I would rather have a boy of mine stand high in his studies than high in athletics, but I could a great deal rather have him show true manliness of character than show either intellectual or physical prowess; and I believe you and Ted both bid fair to develop just such character.

There! you will think this a dreadfully preaching letter! I suppose I have a natural tendency to preach just at present because I am overwhelmed with my work. I enjoy being President, and I like to do the work and have my hand on the lever. But it is very worrying and puzzling, and I have to make up my mind to accept every kind of attack and misrepresentation. It is a great comfort to me to read the life and letters of Abraham Lincoln. I am more and more impressed every day, not only with the man's wonderful power and sagacity, but with his literally endless patience, and at the same time his unflinching resolution.

FK, ping per our previous posts on the Nativity thread, and an update for you.

Based on Garibaldi's abilities as warrior and General, President Lincoln wanted to put Garibaldi in charge of one of the Union regiments, if regiment is the proper term. However, Garibaldi declined because he thought the Emancipation of slaves was moving too slowly.

America, that's a good Italian name, don't you think? Viva l'America, FK, finche il mondo non e piu!

[AnAmericanMother]

You're telling me!

I was a sixth-generation Piskie. My gggg grandfather John Bale was baptized in St. Giles Cripplegate (London), the church where Cromwell was married and Milton is buried. Judging from his will (which is still hanging around in a little paper folder in the basement of the Floyd County courthouse), he was a bit of a Freethinker, but he would be absolutely shocked and horrified to see the mess the Episcopal Church has gotten itself into today.

I think a lot of Church of England types in the 18th century had freethinking or Deist leanings, at least from a philosophical point of view (Franklin was definitely one of those). But they never 'left the reservation', in that none of them ever doubted the existence of God (except perhaps Jefferson) or His Providence.

[AnAmericanMother]

Re: "God's good pleasure" -- that phrase doesn't mean what it meant when it was written.

It's like "at the King's pleasure" -- today we would call it will, or discretion.

[Forest Keeper]

FK, ping per our previous posts on the Nativity thread, and an update for you.

Hi AG! Thank you so much for the ping and the letter from TR. Very interesting. There can be no doubt that our Founding Fathers were men of God. I'm sure many had some specific beliefs that I would not subscribe to, but at least political correctness had not yet been invented so that they felt free to give thanks to God in public and speak about Him for recorded history.