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responding to ~omega~
This is going to be a long post, but you hit a nerve when you said "I don't remember where in any official document of the United States that it says which God." I would like to show you some quotes from documents that indicate to which God they were referring. This is just a sample of quotes, I would have you visit the site www.wallbuilders.com (under the Resources section, click on Historical Documents) for further information about the faith of our founding fathers.
For the sake of saving space, I have only taken excerpts from the following texts, but as you read, I am sure you will find that none of these quotes were taken out of context:
From the conclusion of the Declaration of Independence (of the United States of America):
"...WE, therefore, the Representatives of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in GENERAL CONGRESS, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectitude of our Intentions..."
http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/declaration_transcript.html
From George Washington's October 3, 1789 National Thanksgiving proclamation:
"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 favor..."
"...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 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."
http://www.wallbuilders.com/resources/search/detail.php?ResourceID=111
This is the text of Samuel Adams' February 28, 1795 proclamation, issued while he was Massachusetts Governor:
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
By the Governor
A Proclamation
For a Day of PUBLIC FASTING, HUMILIATION and PRAYER
"THE supreme Ruler of the Universe, having been pleased, in the course of his Providence, to establish the Independence of the United States of America, and to cause them to assume their rank, amount the nations of the Earth, and bless them with Liberty, Peace and Plenty; we ought to be led by Religious feelings of Gratitude; and to walk before Him, in all Humility, according to his most Holy Law..."
"...That with true repentance and contrition of Heart, we may unitedly implore the forgiveness of our Sins, through the merits of Jesus Christ, and humbly supplicate our Heavenly Father, to grant us the aids of his Grace..."
"...And finally, that He would over-rule all the confusions that are in the Earth, of the speedy establishment of the Redeemer's Kingdom, which consisteth in Righteousness and Peace."
http://www.wallbuilders.com/resources/search/detail.php?ResourceID=108
At the time of the Founders, it was a common practice for ministers to preach "election sermons," and it was also common for a clergyman to be invited to give a sermon before the newly-elected government officials. This 1790 election sermon by Rev. Daniel Foster was given before the Massachusetts Governor (John Hancock), Lieutenant-Governor (Samuel Adams), and both houses of Legislature. Rev. Foster admonished these elected officials using Proverbs 8:16 ("By Me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth"), and encouraged them to govern according to God's ways.
Here is the link to the text of this sermon:
http://www.wallbuilders.com/resources/search/detail.php?ResourceID=77
Were the founders Christians, or just believers in some random god? Here is a list of quotes from our founding fathers:
http://www.wallbuilders.com/resources/search/detail.php?ResourceID=140
Other quotes from founding fathers in regards to religion and Christianity:
[W]e have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. . . . Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
(Source: John Adams, The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States, Charles Francis Adams, editor (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co. 1854), Vol. IX, p. 229, October 11, 1798.) http://www.wallbuilders.com/resources/search/detail.php?ResourceID=21
Quotes from John Quincy Adams, the 6th President of the United States of America:
"The law given from Sinai was a civil and municipal as well as a moral and religious code; it contained many statutes . . . of universal application-laws essential to the existence of men in society, and most of which have been enacted by every nation which ever professed any code of laws."
(Source: John Quincy Adams, Letters of John Quincy Adams, to His Son, on the Bible and Its Teachings (Auburn: James M. Alden, 1850), p. 61.)
"There are three points of doctrine the belief of which forms the foundation of all morality. The first is the existence of God; the second is the immortality of the human soul; and the third is a future state of rewards and punishments. Suppose it possible for a man to disbelieve either of these three articles of faith and that man will have no conscience, he will have no other law than that of the tiger or the shark. The laws of man may bind him in chains or may put him to death, but they never can make him wise, virtuous, or happy."
(Source: John Quincy Adams, Letters of John Quincy Adams to His Son on the Bible and Its Teachings (Auburn: James M. Alden, 1850), pp. 22-23.)
For the sake of saving space, I have only taken excerpts from the following texts, but as you read, I am sure you will find that none of these quotes were taken out of context:
From the conclusion of the Declaration of Independence (of the United States of America):
"...WE, therefore, the Representatives of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in GENERAL CONGRESS, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectitude of our Intentions..."
http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/declaration_transcript.html
From George Washington's October 3, 1789 National Thanksgiving proclamation:
"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 favor..."
"...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 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."
http://www.wallbuilders.com/resources/search/detail.php?ResourceID=111
This is the text of Samuel Adams' February 28, 1795 proclamation, issued while he was Massachusetts Governor:
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
By the Governor
A Proclamation
For a Day of PUBLIC FASTING, HUMILIATION and PRAYER
"THE supreme Ruler of the Universe, having been pleased, in the course of his Providence, to establish the Independence of the United States of America, and to cause them to assume their rank, amount the nations of the Earth, and bless them with Liberty, Peace and Plenty; we ought to be led by Religious feelings of Gratitude; and to walk before Him, in all Humility, according to his most Holy Law..."
"...That with true repentance and contrition of Heart, we may unitedly implore the forgiveness of our Sins, through the merits of Jesus Christ, and humbly supplicate our Heavenly Father, to grant us the aids of his Grace..."
"...And finally, that He would over-rule all the confusions that are in the Earth, of the speedy establishment of the Redeemer's Kingdom, which consisteth in Righteousness and Peace."
http://www.wallbuilders.com/resources/search/detail.php?ResourceID=108
At the time of the Founders, it was a common practice for ministers to preach "election sermons," and it was also common for a clergyman to be invited to give a sermon before the newly-elected government officials. This 1790 election sermon by Rev. Daniel Foster was given before the Massachusetts Governor (John Hancock), Lieutenant-Governor (Samuel Adams), and both houses of Legislature. Rev. Foster admonished these elected officials using Proverbs 8:16 ("By Me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth"), and encouraged them to govern according to God's ways.
Here is the link to the text of this sermon:
http://www.wallbuilders.com/resources/search/detail.php?ResourceID=77
Were the founders Christians, or just believers in some random god? Here is a list of quotes from our founding fathers:
http://www.wallbuilders.com/resources/search/detail.php?ResourceID=140
Other quotes from founding fathers in regards to religion and Christianity:
[W]e have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. . . . Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
(Source: John Adams, The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States, Charles Francis Adams, editor (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co. 1854), Vol. IX, p. 229, October 11, 1798.) http://www.wallbuilders.com/resources/search/detail.php?ResourceID=21
Quotes from John Quincy Adams, the 6th President of the United States of America:
"The law given from Sinai was a civil and municipal as well as a moral and religious code; it contained many statutes . . . of universal application-laws essential to the existence of men in society, and most of which have been enacted by every nation which ever professed any code of laws."
(Source: John Quincy Adams, Letters of John Quincy Adams, to His Son, on the Bible and Its Teachings (Auburn: James M. Alden, 1850), p. 61.)
"There are three points of doctrine the belief of which forms the foundation of all morality. The first is the existence of God; the second is the immortality of the human soul; and the third is a future state of rewards and punishments. Suppose it possible for a man to disbelieve either of these three articles of faith and that man will have no conscience, he will have no other law than that of the tiger or the shark. The laws of man may bind him in chains or may put him to death, but they never can make him wise, virtuous, or happy."
(Source: John Quincy Adams, Letters of John Quincy Adams to His Son on the Bible and Its Teachings (Auburn: James M. Alden, 1850), pp. 22-23.)
Posted by GSteve
10th Jul 2006
