This I have found true in my reading of the writings produced by the Founders of this nation. They were not on a mandate from God, but a mission toward freedom. Their object was not a Christian State, but a free State, freedom from tyranny of every design. This they did not accomplish in its fullest sense, but great strides were accomplished and the elements they laid down for us continued to push our civil institutions toward an expansion of human freedom yet to be equaled. However, the influence of their Christian faith had an enormous effect on their actions and the formations of those civil institutions. It formed in their minds a worldview, an idea of freedom of which the world had yet to experience. In their writings, though you do not find a mandate from some god or deity, you find much concerning their understanding of Providence and a purpose to glorify God in their actions.
This Providence would be most accurately defined by Mr. Webster in his 1828 addition: The 3rd definition would be most applicable to their use and understanding of Providence.
PROV'IDENCE, n. [L. providentia.]
1. The act of providing or preparing for future use or application.
Providence for war is the best prevention of it. [Now little used.]
2. Foresight; timely care; particularly, active foresight, or foresight accompanied with the procurement of what is necessary for future use, or with suitable preparation. How many of the troubles and perplexities of life proceed from want of providence!
3. In theology, the care and superintendence which God exercises over his creatures. He that acknowledges a creation and denies a providence, involves himself in a palpable contradiction; for the same power which caused a thing to exist is necessary to continue its existence. Some persons admit a general providence,but deny a particular providence, not considering that a general providence consists of particulars. A belief in divine providence, is a source of great consolation to good men. By divine providence is often understood God himself.
"The Roman empire, in its colossal unity and form, was the symbol of law, of the stately grandeur of a strong government, of the reign of military rule and conquest. Its fabled origin, and the mythical communion of its founder (Numa) with the divinities, gave a rigid religious cast to its civil and military institutions and transactions. The science of Roman jurisprudence educated the citizens of the empire in the cardinal virtues of loyalty and patriotism. Religion is a Roman word, signifying obligation to the government. A Roman citizen could no more be disloyal to his country than to the gods. This conviction gave to the government a religious character, and made it invincible in war and strong in governmental authority and influence. Cicero, in one of his addresses, refers to the religious element of the Roman empire in these words, ' However much we may be disposed to exalt our advantages, it is, nevertheless, certain that we have been surpassed in population by the Spaniards, in physical force by the Gauls, in shrewdness and cunning by Carthage, in the fine arts by Greece, and in mere native talents by some of our Italian fellow-countrymen; but in the single point of attention to religion, we have excelled all other nations, and it is to the favorable influence of this circumstance upon the character of the people that I account for our success in acquiring the political and military ascendency we now enjoy throughout the world.'" - B. F. Morris, "Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States of America" 1864, Page 41,42.
Religion has long been used by nations to unite their people and inspire patriotism and loyalty. Many critics of religion refer to this in the negative sense suggesting its use as a means to control its people. Knowing the nature of Governments, I would have a tendency to believe them to be correct. Governments have a tendency to corrupt as well as control their people. However, there is much to be said concerning the positive influence that can also be achieved, and I think is very evident in the United States.
I remember growing up here in the South, though I didn't have a Christian home at the time, the influence was all around me. Businesses were closed on Sunday, Church parking lots were full. In my little town of around 300 population, there were 4 Churches to pass, just driving through town was a reminder of the religious nature of our country. At school we bowed our heads and said something to the nature of, "Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our Country." We would also recite the Pledge of Allegiance, "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
Even as a child the concept our culture impressed upon my mind was that God was good. Couple with that, these daily practices at school, all formed a connection in my mind between this God and our Nation. As I grew into adulthood, this truly did inspire my love of country and instill a sense of patriotism. Our media and entertainment mostly portrayed our nation in a positive light. We honored our hero's, both mythical and real. As a lad, I was a fan of Superman as played by George Reeves. The introduction spoke a lot to my mind of what we were as a people. If you are old enough to remember;
"Lookup in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane, no, it's Superman! Yes, it's Superman, who came to earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal man. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive. Who disguised as a mannerly daily newspaper reporter Clark Kent, fights a never-ending battle for Truth and Justice the American Way."
He became my favorite hero and a model, a mental picture if you will, that embodied the character of our nation. He was strong and good, he did what was right and stood for the underdog. He helped those who were weaker. He fought for Truth and Justice, and he did it the American Way. I was just a young poor southern boy and didn't understand how our government really worked in all its complexities, but I knew there was a way that embodied a quest for Truth and Justice, and that way was worth fighting for.
It is amazing how these small things when all placed in the right perspective and right atmosphere can have such a powerful impact on society. This character of Superman was derived by his Jewish creators from the story of Moses. Even the timing and arrival of his creation were crucial to the popularity of the comic character.
I was not alone when it came to being affected by this culture in this way. Alexis de Tocqueville after visiting America in 1831 supported this understanding when he stated, "Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." - Alexis de Tocqueville.
Our society is quite different now, we have removed the phrase "American Way" from Superman's introduction. We have weakened his character in that he no longer always knows what is the right thing to do. Our media now seems to take delight in emphasizing the darker sides of our culture. Our entertainment and hero's are not always identified with our country, rather, they are portrayed as the oppressed of our country. This is damaging in the way we view ourselves as Americans and works as an element to weaken our patriotism as well as the trust we have in our leaders. In our next post, we will continue to look at our Christian history as it has been experienced over the years.
May the Grace of God be upon each of you,
David
