America celebrated Memorial Day on Monday this week, remembering those who sacrificed their lives serving the nation, and with the country so divided, it’s a time to remember who we are. Are we still one nation under God?
There are people today attempting to rewrite history in a number of areas.
Some argue America’s founding fathers never intended for the US to be “one nation under God.” While it is true that the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly reference God, it does mention “the year of our Lord” in article VII. However, the document that preceded the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, makes several references to God, as well as the famous preamble which contains the words “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator.”
God is mentioned at least once in all 50 state constitutions, and nearly 200 times overall, according to the Pew Research Center.
By and large, many are trying to confuse the original intention of “the separation of church and state,” (and these specific words do not appear in the First Amendment), which was to stop the statement from creating its own religion, as the Bill of Rights states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” The intention was to protect religious freedom, not to prevent God being mentioned in a government setting.
There is a movement today to remove “in God we trust” as our national motto and from our currency. This motto also appears on many US state seals.
“He makes nations great, and he destroys them; he enlarges nations, and leads them away.”
– Job 12:23
Billy Graham writes about a quotation he said appeared in America’s newspapers around the bicentennial celebration and has since been reprinted many times. It speaks to the birth and death of nations, and how it seems to follow a predictable pattern.
“The world’s great civilizations averaged a cycle of 200 years. Those societies progressed through this sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from great courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependency; from dependency back again into bondage.”
Many hold Rome as a perfect example of this. In the Bible, the prophet Daniel accurately predicted the rise and fall of several of history’s great kingdoms.
America is already past the 200-year mark. As we can see, significant changes are beginning to occur in the nation.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”
– Romans 1:18
There are numerous examples in the Bible of nations, including Israel repeatedly, incurring wrath when they turn away from God. Sin can also cause God to abandon a nation.
The good news is, God is always willing to forgive those who repent and return to honoring God and obeying His word.
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
– 2 Chronicles 7:14
