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Sunday, July 4, 2021

Happy Birthday America!

On the occasion of the two hundred and forty-fifth anniversary of our formal declaration of independence from the United Kingdom, it is appropriate to reflect on the history and current circumstances of our nation. It has been said by some that the United States of America was founded by Christian men on Judeo-Christian principles. Others, however, have disputed that characterization and have underscored the secular nature of the government that the Founding Fathers put in place. As with most things, I believe the truth lies somewhere in between the two extremes.

While it is true that most of the Founding Fathers were Christians (and that the ideas/philosophies which motivated them were squarely based in the Judeo-Christian tradition), it is also true that they were products of the Age of Enlightenment (and that many of them practiced what most modern Evangelical Christians would characterize as a very liberal form of Christianity). To be clear, while Thomas Jefferson had a high regard for Scripture, he was NOT a Fundamentalist or a Literalist.

Moreover, we must not forget that many of these very brilliant and religious men were also slave owners, capitalists and consummate politicians. Hence, in our evaluation of their character and work, it is important not to get lost in sentimental nostalgia and acknowledge that (like all humans) they had strengths and weaknesses. In other words, we can respect their extraordinary accomplishments without deifying them!

And, while we can certainly understand what motivated our forefathers to think of themselves as God's chosen people and to regard this land as a kind of new Promised Land, we must not forget that they took this land away from the Natives and enslaved their African brethren to build their "shining city on a hill." Hence, there is much to celebrate on this anniversary of our founding, but there is also much that has transpired which can never be a source of pride or a reason to toast.

In the Judeo-Christian Scriptures, God evaluated a nation by the character and behavior of its people and their leaders (religious and political). In other words, a nation stood justified or condemned before God based on the degree to which they adhered to his principles. Moreover, the Apostle Paul once wrote to the saints at Corinth that if we would take the time to examine ourselves we wouldn't have to fall under God's condemnation. So, that being the case, how have we (the people of the United States) done in living up to the principles that all humans are created equal and are entitled by God to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?

Finally, as Christians, we should also remember that Christ and his apostles warned God's saints to never forget that their primary citizenship was in God's Kingdom. While they repeatedly reminded their followers about their financial and political obligations to the Roman Emperor and his representatives, they also stressed the fact that their responsibility to follow Christ's teachings must take precedence over all of their earthly obligations. Hence, while it was certainly appropriate to participate and take pride in their identity as citizens of Rome, they must never lose sight of their overarching allegiance to Jesus Christ.

Thus, in the humble opinion of this American, while we have much to celebrate on this important day, we also have much to contemplate and regret.  Humility and repentance are certainly Godly virtues and are things to be embraced by all TRUE Christians. Our forefathers accomplished some wonderful things (things that are worthy of celebration), but we must also never forget that there is unfinished work to do. On an individual and collective basis, we have not reached perfection. We cannot rest on the accomplishments of our ancestors, we must strive to finish the work which they began and to correct the mistakes which they (and we) have made along the way. In other words, when we enjoy our cookouts today and watch those fireworks tonight, let us also remember that we have miles to go before we sleep - MILES TO GO BEFORE WE SLEEP!

3 comments:

  1. The following comment was sent to my private e-mail account:

    Happy Fourth to you, too!

    I think it's fair to say that, on balance, the United States of America has been a source of blessing to the world. Not that we should sit on any laurels, but it can sometimes be encouraging to consider the good that has been done, hopefully in greater quantity than the bad. Thought experiment: Would the world today be better or worse had the United States never existed?

    P.S. Small historical detail: I believe the name "United Kingdom" wasn't officially used until the early 19th century. In 1776 we would still have been calling the nation we declared independence from "Britain" or "Great Britain."

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    1. The historical detail supplied in this comment is technically correct. The more appropriate term would have been Great Britain. It should be noted, however, that by 1776, the English sovereign had long been considered the overlord of Wales, the Act of Union between the crowns of England and Scotland had been approved by Parliament early in the 18th Century and the English monarch had long been considered the sovereign of Ireland. Hence, while the English monarch had effectively become the head of a "united" kingdom long before its official designation as such in 1801, the commentator is correct to call attention to the designations which were used in the actual Declaration of Independence.

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  2. I agree that our American history is a mix of good and bad - with (as stated by your private commenter) America being more of a net blessing to the world. But is it going to continue?

    You stated: "In the Judeo-Christian Scriptures, God evaluated a nation by the character and behavior of its people and their leaders (religious and political). In other words, a nation stood justified or condemned before God based on the degree to which they adhered to his principles."

    I believe that God is still doing this now. I believe that America's existence is by divine providence. Certainly, Americans need to strive to live the ideals of our founding documents. But calling good evil and evil good is not the godly direction America should go. Dangerous (and evil) activism by organizations like the Marxist BLM and other radicals hostile to American capitalist culture and Judeo-Christian concepts will not lead to the realization of the ideals that America's founding fathers envisioned. The very concept of civil rights and the belief that (to use your words) "all humans are created equal and are entitled by God to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" comes from the bible. How sad that so many in America now seem to be completely ignorant of this.

    America turned 245 today. God has mercifully blessed America through her history. But now with increasing dysfunction in our government and educational institutions promoting a perverse ideology called Critical Race Theory and other anti-Christian dogmas, could that indicate that those divine blessing and protections are being taken away?

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