On Sunday, May 17th, the nation is gathering on the National Mall in Washington, DC, for the “Rededicate 250” event to celebrate and recommit ourselves to the foundations upon which America was built. Although controversial today in some quarters, history shows that 250 years ago with the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the United States was founded upon biblical principles as many of the Founders held Christian beliefs that shaped their thinking about how to form the new republic. These beliefs included that our rights come from God, that freedom carries moral responsibility, and that religious faith was important in forming moral, responsible citizens. Our first two Presidents often called for prayer and thanksgiving. Accordingly, “Rededicate 250” invites Americans from all backgrounds to come together in prayer, and giving thanks to God for His providence throughout the last 250 years, and asking His guidance for the next 250 years.
To confirm the above Christian beliefs, consider the moral truths of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness—And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, Fortunes, and sacred Honor.”
Speaking of “divine Providence”, it should be noted that on May 13, 1917, while Europe was in the grip of the First World War, the Blessed Mother Mary appeared to three Portuguese children (Our Lady of Fatima) and predicted the devastation of WWII and the grave threat posed by Communist Russia. Her message: reform your lives and do penance for your sins.
The grave threat posed by Communism was also being born in America in 1917 under the leadership of our 28th president, Woodrow Wilson, who was introducing a new set of first principles of government that he called “progressivism”. Progressivism has made many inroads in our system of government over the years and is a grave threat because it opposes the principles of the Declaration— it is not possible for the two to coexist forever.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas delivered a presentation titled “Progressives vs. the Declaration” last month at the University of Texas, Austin, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Excerpts of his remarks follows: “Progressivism seeks to replace the basic premise of the Declaration, and hence our form of government. It holds that our rights come not from God, but from Government. It requires of the people a subservience and weakness incompatible with our Constitution.”
Yes, it’s time to pray!
Steve Gardes is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) with over 40 years of public accounting experience.
