Have you ever watched a movie several times and wanted to see it again? My precious Carol and I watched a film this past week called, "Monumental: In Search of America's National Treasure," staring Kirk Cameron. This was the second time I watched it, and I'll watch it again. If you haven't seen it, you should. It's a 90-minute film about America's beginning.
Because much of our national heritage is not taught in schools, a major portion of our population is ignorant of our history. This film supplies some of the details.
Psalms 78:5-7 says, "The Lord made an agreement with Jacob and gave the teachings to Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach to their children. Then their children would know them, even their children not yet born. And they would tell their children. So they would all trust God and would not forget what he had done but would obey his commands."
We start with the concept of monuments which are reminders of historical events. God told the Israelites to build monuments about what they accomplished, and about what the Lord did for them. Then they were to use those monuments as tools to teach their children about their past. My own father taught me the importance of history, and said, "If you don't know where you've been, it's hard to tell where you're going." How true.
Kirk Cameron wanted to know what principles the early settlers -- Pilgrims -- established that the Founding Fathers followed to make the United States of America the most successful example of civil, economic, and religious liberty ever developed in the history of the world.
But America became a moral quagmire because we, as a nation, now refuse to teach about God and the truth of our history. And since we don't know where we've been, we are on the wrong track now. Let me give you several historical facts that are hard to find in schools today.
The Pilgrims left Europe because the Church WAS the state, and the state was persecuting them. Therefore, they established a separation between church and state. But they didn't want a godless society; instead, they wanted God-fearing men to run the government, and to guarantee everyone the freedom to worship according to conscience.
I won't hide the errors and flaws in early American society, but I am telling you their intent.
The first governmental document in America was the Mayflower Compact. The Pilgrims established this document firmly on the principle that God should be the center of our public life. This guaranteed religious freedom.
The Pilgrims did not abuse the Native Americans. Others did, but the Pilgrims treated the "Indians" as equals.
Civil authority, law, justice, mercy, education, and equality were established firmly on Scripture. That created our foundation for liberty -- both civil and religious.
Our early Congress highly approved of Christianity. On January 21, 1781, Robert Aitken asked the new Congress to authorize, and if possible even pay for, the printing of the King James Version of the Bible in America. Congress wouldn't fund the project, but here is the approval issued on September 10, 1782:
"Whereupon, Resolved, That the United States in Congress assembled, highly approve the pious and laudable undertaking of Mr. Aitken, as subservient to the interest of religion as well as an instance of the progress of arts in this country ... we recommend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States, and hereby authorise him to publish this recommendation in the manner he shall think proper."
In 1783, George Washington wrote a letter commending Aitken for his Bible, known as the "Bible of the American Revolution."
The founding fathers realized that a nation that is not based on faith in Holy Scripture and Almighty God, that does not maintain a high moral integrity -- both individually and corporately -- will ultimately crumble. Therefore our leaders kept God in our national conscience for a long time. Many WWII war bonds were issued "to preserve freedom of worship." Our government printed WWII posters showing Hitler driving a sword through the Bible.
We have hundreds of writings from founding fathers who professed faith in Almighty God. But many in our post-modern society want to deprive us of our national, Godly heritage. They don't know that history ignored is freedom lost.
To maintain our freedoms, we must know our history and reestablish our faith in God.
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Gene Linzey is a speaker, author, and former pastor. He is president of the Siloam Springs Writers Guild. Send comments and questions to [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
Religion on 04/27/2016