One Nation Under God

The timing of the recent decision by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that found reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in schools to be unconstitutional is ironic. Just as we started to prepare to celebrate Independence Day, we learned that the phrase "one nation under God" is offensive and unconstitutional. Regardless of what some judges may say, Americans should remember on this Fourth of July that America is the country it is today for one reason—Christianity.

Christianity gave us the freedom we enjoy and celebrate today. The only reason we even have an Independence Day is that 226 years ago our Founding Fathers believed in certain self-evident truths: "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." Without a Creator, mankind could have no God-given rights—only the few privileges that the people in power chose to give.

Christianity also gave us the form of government our Founders devised. The Declaration of Independence goes on to say, "[t]hat to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." Protestant Christians in England had struggled for centuries to limit the power of the king and increase the power of the representatives of the people. That tradition led to our republic.

Christianity gave America the character that made it great and that we saw again on September 11th. The Christian virtues of hard work, courage, and care for others gave us our prosperity, resilience, and unity.

As we celebrate our Independence, we should recognize the blessings of Christianity we enjoy. In spite of what activist judges may say, America began as, and remains, "one nation under God." The patriots who died for our country would not tolerate such a desecration of our ideals. Neither should we.

Sincerely,

Wesley Wilson