(no subject)
WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"
NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.
(signed) G. Washington
I came across this rather Providentially, you might say. As of late, I have been reading and learning about our country's early years, and I have come to realize something. Christians today have been making the point (and correctly so, in my opinion) that this country was founded on Christian principles. The founding fathers talked about religious freedom, yes, but to them it was more like denominational freedom. They wanted people to be able to worship freely, but they never doubted that the worship would be directed toward God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Since then, though, our country has taken religious freedom so far that we can never get back to the way our fathers intended for this country to be, a nation that turned to God for strength, wisdom, and grace. Unless our country splits in half, this will never happen. It would take so long, even if we started to change today, that I truly believe that Christ would return long before we got back on track.
Today's Christians are trying to get this country back on track, but they're going about it in a backward fashion. This is what I've come to realize: no amount of moral legislation is going to change a person's heart. Even if the government actually made laws mandating the practice of Christianity, it would still not make us a Christian nation. The change must come from the bottom and work its way up; the people must change first, and the government would then follow suit. No law will change people; God will use people to change people, and the means to make that change will be love.
So what does this mean for yours truly? Do I still believe, for instance, that marriage is only right for one man and one woman? Yes. But will I support a constitutional amendment that defines marriage as such? Maybe not. It would not change people for the better.
But do I wish for the days when the government and the people of this nation, which was ordained and blessed by God, humbled themselves in thanksgiving in the presence of their Creator and Sustainer? Absolutely. More than I can say.