Rewriting History

(If you missed it, take a look at part one.)

The United States of America has such a rich history, filled with stories of heroism, justice and freedom. And if all you ever knew about this country was what (I am discovering) very little is taught in our public schools, you would undoubtedly be filled with a sense of pride and privilege to be able to call yourself a citizen of the freest and most blessed nation in the world. However, you would be neglecting a much larger, and quite frankly pivotal, truth about who we are, where we come from, why we are as blessed as we are and how we must behave as a nation if we hope to keep that blessing.

Short of giving you an entire text book of information about the forgotten and untold history of our nation, I could not begin to cover the vast extent to which this nation actually was, despite what we are told in school, birthed and founded upon the Bible, its principles and most importantly, the ultimate foundation, Jesus Christ. This is not the message we are given in school; if you have spent any amount of time in a public school classroom or university classroom, you are probably more familiar with a godless, humanist history. But I am here to tell you that our founding fathers, and their predecessors, were not the deist and atheistic individuals that have been painted into our history books. On the contrary, they were men and women of deep faith, who knew that the only hope we ever had or will have for a healthy and prosperous nation was bound strictly to our obedience and submission to the God of the Bible.

In their own words...

Samuel Adams, signer of the Declaration of Independence and Father of the American Revolution: "And as it is our duty to extend our wishes to the happiness of the great family of man, I conceive that we cannot better express ourselves than by humbly supplicating the Supreme Ruler of the world that the rod of tyrants may be broken to pieces, and the oppressed made free again; that wars may cease in all the earth, and that the confusions that are and have been among nations may be overruled by promoting and speedily brining on that holy and happy period when the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ may be everywhere established, and all people everywhere willingly bow to the sceptre of Him who is Prince of Peace."

James Madison, 4th U.S. President: "Cursed be all that learning that is contrary to the cross of Christ."

Thomas Jefferson, 3rd U.S. President, Drafter and Signer of the Declaration of Independence: "God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever..."

Patrick Henry, Ratifier of the U.S. Constitution: "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here."

John Jay, 1st Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court: "By conveying the Bible to people thus circumstanced, we certainly do them a most interesting kindness. We thereby enable them to learn that man was originally created and placed in a state of happiness, but, becoming disobedient, was subjected to the degradation and evils which he and his posterity have since experienced.

The Bible will also inform them that our gracious Creator has provided for us a Redeemer, in whom all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; that this Redeemer has made atonement "for the sins of the whole world," and thereby reconciling the Divine justice with the Divine mercy has opened a way for our redemption and salvation; and that these inestimable benefits are of the free gift and grace of God, not of our deserving, nor in our power to deserve."

These are just a few quotes out of so many more. The history we know is rich, yes. But the history we do not know is richer still. And it is the one we need to acquaint ourselves with if we ever hope to restore this nation to a place of submission to God and retain his favor rather than his wrath.

More in the next post on educating ourselves as well as the next generation...