Holy War In Amreica

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Exclusive commentary by David Rowell

There is a “holy war” going on right now on American soil. Unlike holy wars in places like the Middle East, where the opponents have names and the headlines summarize the daily conflicts, the holy war in America hasn’t been getting much press. The American holy war is a covert, subliminal war of worldviews.

An offensive has been quietly advancing against the Christian heritage of America. The fact that the United States government has always been linked to Christianity is being eroded. Those who demand that the American government needs to become a purely secular entity are working through the courts, public schools, “small interest groups” and political/leadership offices to stealthily advance that agenda.

Actually, there’s no question, except in the minds of those who don’t have an accurate knowledge of American history, about the fact that this nation was founded on Christian moral principles and faith.

Dwight D. Eisenhower agreed when he boldly stated, “Without God, there could be no American form of government.” According to Joe Loconte, God Government and the Good Samaritan, “Eisenhower viewed faith as a bulwark against Communism abroad and corruption and materialism at home. It was at his urging that the words "under God" were added to the Pledge of Allegiance.”

There is exhaustive record of the faith-based Christian foundation of our form of government. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, wrote in 1824 in Updegraph v. Cmmonwealth, “No free government now exists in the world, unless where Christianity is acknowledged, and is the religion of the country.”

In 1799 Jedediah Morse, “father of American geography”, added this to the historic record, “Whenever the pillars of Christianity shall be overthrown, our present republican forms of government, and all blessings which flow from them, must fall with them.”

Thomas Jefferson acknowledged God as the giver of rights and the author of life when he wrote those immortal words declaring that people are "endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights."

Benjamin Franklin strongly encouraged schools to teach “the excellency of the Christian religion above all others…"

George Washington stated that it was important for children to learn "above all, the religion of Jesus Christ." Yet, today, The ACLU and other secular activists are working hard to keep the Ten Commandments, prayer and the mention of the God of Christianity and Judaism out of our public schools.

Benjamin Rush, another signer of the Declaration of Independence, disagreed, “We profess to be republicans, and yet we neglect the only means of establishing and perpetuating our republican forms of government, that is, the universal education of our youth in the principles of Christianity by the means of the Bible.”

Yet another signer of the declaration of independence, Charles Carroll, adds to these pointed records in a letter to James McHenry on November 4, 1800, “they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion,… are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments.”

Thomas Jefferson markedly declared, “The doctrines of Jesus are simple, and tend all to the happiness of mankind.”

Another signer of the Constitution, James McHenry, stressed that the use of the Scriptures, “produces a conviction of their truths, can alone secure to society, order and peace, and to our courts of justice and constitutions of government, purity, stability and usefulness.”

It doesn’t sound to me like the writers of the Constitution were concerned about keeping Christianity walled out of our government. In fact, it sounds like they wanted it to be irrevocably intertwined with the laws and culture of our land.

Secularists are making progress at carefully having this historical evidence purged from our school textbooks. Textbooks are now being edited to fit "bias and sensitivity guidelines". The documentation of those vital principles are being smudged out of current generations’ history lessons.

Our forefathers fled England to escape federally mandated religion. There is no separation of church and state in the Constitution. It is being misread. What the establishment clause says is that there will be no officially mandated federal religion that everyone must observe. It promises freedom “of religion”, not freedom “from religion”.

In a public speech recently, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia clearly said that the courts have gone too far trying to keep religion out of public schools and other forums. He said that the Constitution restricts the government from establishing or promoting religion, but that the framers did not intend for God to be stripped from public life.

Preserving morality, high values and liberties is what motivated our forefathers, veterans and current troops to risk sacrificing their lives in the War for Independence, World Wars 1 and 2, Korea, Vietnam, Persian Gulf, Kuwait, and now Afghanistan and Iraq. The U.S. even fought a horrific war right her on our own soil that resulted in the end to slavery in our own nation.

President Bush stated in a speech on Veteran’s Day, 2002, “As many veterans have seen in countries around the world, captive people have greeted American soldiers as liberators. And there is good reason. We have no territorial ambitions; we don't seek an empire. Our nation is committed to freedom for ourselves and for others. We and our allies have fought evil regimes and left in their place self-governing and prosperous nations.” The liberation of the oppressed and the preservation of precious human life and liberty have historically been the core motivation of the U.S.A.

Hmmmm. That reminds me of something said by Someone whose teachings make up the foundational core of this great nation, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly…to proclaim liberty to the captives and… to set at liberty those who are oppressed.”

Oops! That’s not a politically correct reference is it? Someone could be offended because they don’t believe in Jesus. Give me a break! This is America! Here we have the freedom to express our views, including the truth that America is one nation, under God and who trusts in God. But, for how much longer? There is a holy war going on right here on U.S. soil to change that! Stand up and choose a side, while you still have the freedom to do so. This “holy war” will not be fought on the battlefield and not a drop of blood should be shed, nor a single bruise inflicted during the conflict. Today, the tangible weapons of this war should be limited to writing pens, computer keys, vocal cords and voting booths, but the stakes are incredibly high. Our freedom is being seriously challenged again!

Surely, most everyone has heard the bold cry, "Give me liberty or give me death". I will conclude this “call to (proverbial) arms” with more of the immortal words of Patrick Henry spoken on March 23, 1775, “If we wish to be free-- if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending--if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained--we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us!”

"Yet, today, The ACLU and other secular activists are working hard to keep the Ten Commandments, prayer and the mention of the God of Christianity and Judaism out of our public schools. "
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"There is no separation of church and state in the Constitution. It is being misread. What the establishment clause says is that there will be no officially mandated federal religion that everyone must observe. "

Firstly, I agree with the above paragraph, re:Constitution.

If the "God of Christianity and Judaism" is being mandated in public (taxpayer funded) schools, then you will have a "officially mandated federal religion.", which we both agree the Constitution forbids.

If you mention the God of Christianity in a public tax-paid forum, you must give "airtime" to the "other deities". Failure to do so is an explicit example of " officially mandated federal religion."

I expect I'll be flamed for wanting equal religious freedom for everyone in public taxpaid forums and locations.

There are, I believe, examples of the seculars going overboard (eliminating the word "Christmas" from school calendars, etc.), but forcing children to say Christian/Judaism prayers only is not what the Constitution allows us, nor is it the neat solution to the problems facing our nation's children that some would believe. Parents and church should be responsible for the religious education of youth. The pathetic public school system has enough trouble with the figurative 3 Rs right now...no way in Hell I want them teaching my kids someone else's relgious views.

"I expect I'll be flamed for wanting equal religious freedom for everyone in public taxpaid forums and locations."

I wouldn't think so, but I think you deserve to be flamed for expecting religious people to flame you for that. Not gonna do it, though.

"If the "God of Christianity and Judaism" is being mandated in public (taxpayer funded) schools, then you will have a "officially mandated federal religion."

Oh? So, when those public schools required the reading of the Koran, they established Islam as the official state religion of the US?

Teaching a thing and "mandating" a thing are not the same; allowing religious expression--or even teaching religious principles--does not in any way amount to the establishment of an official religion.

"If you mention the God of Christianity in a public tax-paid forum, you must give "airtime" to the "other deities". Failure to do so is an explicit example of " officially mandated federal religion."

In no way. It is the excercise of religious freedom. Anyone present is free to disagree utterly, and no one is required to give even lip service to any religion at all.

"but forcing children to say Christian/Judaism prayers"

I can think of no example of any public school ever "forcing" anyone to say any sort of prayer whatsoever. Not only are you tilting at windmills, you're tilting at imaginary windmills.

"Parents and church should be responsible for the religious education of youth."

Which in no way implies that schools should religiously exclude the expression of any religion other than atheism.

"The pathetic public school system has enough trouble with the figurative 3 Rs right now."

And part of the reason for that is that their authority to confer moral education has been stripped from them, along with their authority to impose corporal punishment.

"no way in Hell I want them teaching my kids someone else's relgious views."

For a hundred and fifty years, Jewish kids endured the spectacle of Christian kids praying, and there's no evidence that they were converted in great numbers. Even most atheists share a set of core values with the religious--rape, murder, theft, etc.--and if you're doing your job, your kids will be able to brush up against differing theologies without spinning out of control.

By the way, what's Blzbba, "Beelzebubba" without the vowels?

"I wouldn't think so, but I think you deserve to be flamed for expecting religious people to flame you for that. Not gonna do it, though. "

LOL! good point!

"Oh? So, when those public schools required the reading of the Koran, they established Islam as the official state religion of the US? "
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"I can think of no example of any public school ever "forcing" anyone to say any sort of prayer whatsoever. Not only are you tilting at windmills, you're tilting at imaginary windmills. "

I can think of no example of being forced to read the Koran either. Please understand that my phrasing of the school stuff began with the words "If the "God of Christianity and Judaism" is being mandated in public...". "IF" says that it's not happening at the moment but IF it did, I would have a problem with it. Same as "IF the Koran....".
So I'm not tilting at any windmills, except those that you've invented! :)

"In no way. It is the excercise of religious freedom. Anyone present is free to disagree utterly, and no one is required to give even lip service to any religion at all. "

I see your point here. Fortunately, I was raised Catholic, which most people agree is a Christian religion, so I've always been in the majority on faith issues in public (i.e. saying Lord's Prayer before HS football games doesn't bother me at all). I'm just trying to look at this from some "minority-faith" (pardon the expression but you know what I mean here) child's POV. A child who's had no choice but to be raised Islamic/Jewish/Hindu/Atheist, etc.

"Which in no way implies that schools should religiously exclude the expression of any religion other than atheism. "

Actually, if it's a gov't public school, it should, unless it attempts to teach all faiths (or at least the "big" ones of Christianity/Judaism/Hindusim/Islam/Buddhism, etc.). Why you support some gov't worker teaching children his/her convoluted views of faith is unclear to me, esp. given the present inability of many teachers to teach the much-less-controversial subjects of math, reading, science, etc. Or are these "atheist doctrines"? Personally, I plan to let my church and the words of the Bible guide my twins' religious education, not some gov't schmuck with an agenda. Private schools are obviously free to teach what they choose.

"And part of the reason for that is that their authority to confer moral education has been stripped from them, along with their authority to impose corporal punishment. "

I have a big enough problem with the current Teacher's Union's insistence on the Socialization of today's youth. I will forcefully remove my children from any classroom that attempts to teach religious doctrine to them. And what Christian doctrine would be taught? Southern Baptistism? Presbyterianism? Catholocism? The 2nd Church of Christ off of Oak st? Who would decide this and how could I be sure that there was no hidden "My church is right" agenda? Do you fail to see the massive pitfalls in allowing this? Would you be thrilled if your children came home espousing the Hindu beliefs they had been taught that day? Sorry - these are just my opinions. Once my children (now a whopping 5 months old!) start school, I'll have a better idea of what might/might-not work.

"By the way, what's Blzbba, "Beelzebubba" without the vowels? "

Very good! Yeah, it's nothing more than an internet name that is NEVER taken when I sign up for stuff! Nothing sinister here. (I think it's actually the name of some punk-rock album cover from the 80s?).

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