http://benderplace.com/let_freedom_ring/motto.htm
In God WeTrust
The national motto of the United States of America, “In God WeTrust", had its’ genesis in 1814 when Francis Scott Key wrote in the final stanza of the Star Spangle Banner, “and this be our motto- In God is our Trust.”
Around 1861, Supreme Court Chief Justice Chase wrote in a letter to the Director of the Mint and stated, “No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe, except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins.”
The motto evolved from “God our Trust” in 1862 to : God and our Country” in 1863, and eventually into “In God We Trust” in 1865 when Congress enacted legislation authorizing the phrase on our coinage.
In 1931 Congress passed the act designation “thecomposition consisting of the words and music known as the Star SpangledBanner” as our National Anthem and then in 1955 mandated the inscription “InGod We Trust” on all coins and paper currency. The sponsoring Congressman of the 1955 act stated in part that, “in these days when imperialistic and materialistic communism seeks to attack and to destroy freedom, it is proper for us to seek continuously for ways to strengthen the foundation of our freedom. At the base of our freedom is our faith in God.”
There can be no doubt about whether our founding fathers wanted this nation of America to be a nation of God. The following quotes are only a few of many examples which testify to the original intentions of the founders.
Man will ultimately be governed by God or by tyrants. - Benjamin Franklin
The highest glory of the American Revolution was this; it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity. - John Quincey Adams
It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religion but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We shall not fight alone. God presides over the destinies of nations. - Patrick Henry
That religion, or the duty we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reasonand conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience. - Virginia Bill of Rights, June 12, 1776
Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of Mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise; and in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian… This is a religious people. This is historically true. From the discovery of this continent to the present hour, there is a single voice making this affirmation… we find everywhere a clear recognition of the same truth. These and many other matters which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a Christian nation.- U.S. Supreme Court, 1892
“Itis the duty of all wise, free, and virtuous governments to countenance and encourage virtue and religion.” – John Jay, First Supreme Court Chief Justice and one of the authors of the Federalist Papers
“Religion and morality are the essential pillars of civil society.” – George Washington
“Whereas true religion and good morals are the only solid foundation of public liberty and happiness…it is hereby earnestly recommended to the several states to take the most effectual measures for the encouragement thereof.” – Continental Congress, 1778
“Religion is the only solid basis of good morals; therefore education should teach the precepts of religion,and the duties of man toward God.” – Gouverneur Morris, Signer of theArticles of Confederation and U.S Constitution, penman of the Constitution, U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania
“While we give praise to God,the supreme disposer of all events…let us guard against the dangerous error of trusting in, or boasting of, an arm of flesh.” – John Witherspoon, Signer of the Declaration of Independence
“Direct my thought, words and work, wash away my sins in the immaculate Blood of the Lamb, and purge my heart by Thy Holy Spirit… Daily frame me more and more into the likeness of Thy Son Jesus Christ.” – George Washington
“Remember that God is our only sure trust.” – Mary Washington
“If we work on marble, it will perish; if on brass, time will efface it; if we rear up temples, they will crumble into dust; but if we work upon immortal minds and imbue them with principle, with the just fear of God and the love of our fellow men, we engrave on those tablets something that will brighten to eternity.” – Daniel Webster
“We think it is incumbent upon the people to humble themselves before God on account of their sins…(and) also to implore His divine blessing upon us, that by the assistance of His grace , we may be enable to reform whatever is amiss among us, so that God may be pleased to continue to give us the blessings we enjoy.” – John Hancock, First signer of the Declaration of Independence
“Remember ever, and always, that your country was founded…by the stern old Puritans who made the deck of theMayflower an altar of the living God, and whose first act on touching the soilof the new world was to offer on bended knees thanksgiving to Almighty God.”– Henry Wilson, 18th U.S. Vice President under Ulysses S. Grant
3 comments:
I enjoyed your posting on the question of what the founders of our country and other notables thought about the subject of God and the dictates of our National direction.
I appreciate your argument. With respect I would invite you to my blog site http://timetothinkagain.blogspot.com/
where I too have made a few postings on this subject. My research has shown a different view on the subject. I believe the early founders (in their wisdom) were very aware of the dangers of establishing this nation under the strict doctrine of any specific religion (especially considering the persecution history from the Old World. While some obviously had their own personal beliefs the founders were extremely careful and prudent to avoid assigning any particular God or religious sect to the mandates of our formal government structure. This attitude is one of the great strengths of the United States of America. The principle that every citizen of the this country has the right to believe or not believe in a supreme being is one of the most important freedoms Americans possess for if not for that the United States could very well fall victim to the same State controlled religious suppression that has caused the upheaval and eventual downfall of so many nations that came before us.
If you choose to go to my blog site look for the posting I made on August 30, 2006 on this subject.
Have a great fourth of July.
I do appreciate your comments, though there are some points that I would disagree.
Our country was founded by CHRISTIAN men and women who were believers in JESUS. They staked their very lives on that, and established a nation that has been a land of milk and honey for generations.
Today, there are many who have forgotten that basic foundation and who have turned their backs on Christ thinking that THEY are the foundation, and that their opinion is the right one, though it may be in total opposition to what the founding fathers had in mind.
Today, they take God out of every institution with long standing monuments giving thanks to Him.
Prayer and Bible reading came out of the public schools. They have no basis now for morality in any form. No wonder our children are so confused. Even if you are not a Christian, the 10 Commandments were a perfect guideline for moral principles.
The founding fathers were careful not to form a 'state religion' as that was the oppression they ran from in the first place. But their principles in forming the Declaration and the Constitution were with allegiance to the one God who created this world and the humanity that inhabits it.
Each state in the union has a preamble, and most if not all contain words giving honor to God for the establishment of that state. Not "A GOD", but to God- and at that time, it was the Biblical Father who was the creator of all.
It still stands- God is not dead, but controls all things in this world even yet.
I agree that religious preference and belief.. the freedom to worship in peace .. is the most important of our freedoms. As a Christian, this freedom is slowly being denied. I am persecuted, though not physically.. My freedom of speech is being curtailed daily by those who just don't like to hear what I might say. The truth be known, I find what they are saying offensive, but I'm not actively denying them the right to say it. God will judge in the end.
Thanks for answering my comment. I believe the sides of this or any issue should be able to have a civil dialog.
You should not begin to feel that your freedom of speech is being curtailed. You fortunately have the right to express your personal opinions about religion or any other subject which is a fundamental greatness of America. Each of us has the freedom to speak or listen or believe.
I do think that many of the founders had an underlying belief in a supreme being BUT they were extremely careful not to inject those beliefs into the United States Constitution.In fact, the Constitution only mentions religion twice and both times in an exclusionary manner. The First Amendment says in part; "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion." Article VI Section 3 says; "No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States".
The exercise of religious practice should be an individual as well as a family endeavor and that is precisely what the founders intended. The main reason for this is that while the theory of celebrating a GOD has good intentions the reality is that due to the diversity of beliefs (my God, your God, their God) the quest for injecting our leaders personal God into the laws and dictates of the Government will always remain a practice to be avoided.
A great man once said, "I may disagree with someone's position on an issue but I'll defend to the death their right to say it".
Our children need to be taught by their parents and their families and their places of worship. The Government (as with many other subjects) need not have a voice on this issue for if it does you really will feel the suppression of your right to free speech.
Thanks again for taking the time to respond.
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