I began this blog only yesterday with trepidation that I would run out of real topics to discuss regarding saving America from its current leadership. My fears were unfounded because, as long as Obama is seated as the President, I can rely on him to give me plenty to discuss.
"Obama Ends Bush-Era National Prayer Day Service at White House." I spoke yesterday of pebbles --- they've grown to good-sized rocks now.
Once again, in and of itself this might seem fairly benign. It can be viewed as political wrangling because the headline implies it was Bush's proclamation. It actually began with Harry Truman, Ronald Reagan made it a permanent occasion and, under Bush, the day was a political event, confirming a conviction that religion was a core tenet of Republican politics.
Okay, so it was a political move, right? Not so fast. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said, "I think the president understands, in his own life and in his family's life, the role that prayer plays." That's a very vague statement that does nothing to indicate what faith our sitting president actually supports. Name a past President who kept his beliefs hidden? Didn't think so. He portrays himself as someone who wants to support everyone, and he does so by not standing up for what he truly believes. Or, perhaps he is but just can't state yet what he is standing for? Now that's a scary thought people. Everything about his presidency up to this point seems more of a global posturing than any real vision. Sorry, got sidetracked.
Still okay? Well, couple that comment with his inaugural address where he became the first president to embrace atheists..."For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus and non-believers." He placed these 5 groups on equal footing, but not all of these groups founded the country.
If you build a house, you welcome your friends and family inside, but that doesn't mean they all get equal credit for building the house. Our Founding Fathers welcomed EVERYONE who wished to move here for religious and governmental freedom --- that meant everyone who embraced their ideals of FREEDOM of religion, FREEDOM from an overbearing government, and FREEDOM to achieve their dreams. They accommodated any who shared these beliefs...they didn't sell out on their own. The other side was that when the British threatened their VISION of America, they fought and defeated this threat, and they did so with the proclamation that this nation, under God, will not be under the rule of those who would dictate our religious freedoms.
One more pebble to clarify this rock he's thrown in the river can be found in the supportive statement from David Silverman, the national spokesman for the organization American Atheists. "It's not his job to tell people to pray. We are very happy he did away with the George W. Bush-era celebrations and party, but we wish he wouldn't do it at all."
No, it's not his job to tell people what to do (although his administration seems pretty comfortable with it), but it is his job to lead. Granted, I guess he is leading with this proclamation, but leading in entirely the wrong direction. Has anyone bothered to wonder why Obama keeps making these religious moves? During the campaign he claimed to be Christian, yet he seems very much a persecutor of the Christian faith while raising up other faiths (and non-faiths). What person doesn't support and defend their own beliefs? I think him proclaiming to be Christian was a lie and a political move only.
Sorry non-believers, but this country was founded on faith in God and religious freedoms. You can cite a very small minority of agnostics among the framers of our Constitution, but the majority of them were not only Christians but were very knowledgeable, influential theologians who even wrote and published the first Bibles in America. That's fact, not supposition. They openly defended our country based on following God.
I cannot stand quietly by while the "spirit and intent" of our Constitution is stripped of the very foundation on which it was built. The spirit and intent of the separation of church and state was not meant to keep God out of governmental decisions, but rather to keep government out of religious choice. The two primary reasons the Pilgrims sailed the ocean to come here were (1) Religious freedom and (2) Freedom from an overbearing goverment.
Perhaps my next task should be to read the Constitution and count the number of times God is cited. One thing I'm pretty sure of though - our forefathers didn't count how many times they used His name, because it came very naturally.
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