Certain enemies of freedom - bitter people who'd rather give up and turn everything over rather than fight on - employ the logical fallacy "poisoning the well", pointing to disgraces like segregation and racism as a basis to jettison everything - including the nobler values. In rejecting these nobler traits through guilt-by-association we cut off the proverbial branch on which our wealth and comfort rested.
People say, "God bless America", but is it not unreasonable to turn that around and insist that America first bless God by honoring His commands and the Judeo-Christian underpinnings that underwrote our greatness in the firstplace? Our system after all, as a great man once said, is fit only for a moral and ethical people. I target everyone here - myself included - not just the obvious enemies of freedom.
Thoughts?
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Are you still killing your unborn? -- GOD |
You mean...
Having undertaken, for the Glory of God, and advancements of the Christian faith and honor of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the Northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents, solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God, and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic; for our better ordering, and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape Cod the 11th of November, in the year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King James, of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth, 1620.
From the Weekly Standard of Aug 5, 2013, in a horribly obtuse article written by George Gilder comes this gem: (Note: In the quoted portion Gilder’s use of the phrase “predictable carrier” means the underlying system that enables successful, creative, capitalism.)
“In capitalism, the predictable carriers are:
the rule of law,
the maintenance of order,
the defense of property rights,
the reliability and restraint of regulation,
the transparency of accounts,
the stability of money,
the discipline and futurity of family life, and
a level of taxation commensurate with a modest and predictable role of government.”
(Note: I’ve listed his points on separate lines for emphasis. In the magazine it was printed as one entire sentence.)
Nothing about God, although the freedom of (not from) religion would be covered under “the rule of law” since it’s embedded in our Constitution.
On reading his points, it’s interesting to think about how many of them have been corrupted over the years, and not just by the Obama administration, although I’d say that this administration has pretty much jettisoned each and every point.
So, I guess my “thoughts” are that we should return to those basics Gilder lists if we are to restore America’s greatness and ensure its continuance. My thoughts on God’s involvement in all this is that we should return to the original concept of freedom OF religion, rather than the current trend toward freedom FROM religion (at least from Christian religion) that seems to have prevailed in government for the last several decades.
A government aligned with any particular religion will see belief in that particular religion decline among the populace, but will undertake actions in the name of that religion that cause nothing but misery for many.