One Nation, Guided by God

In 1981, President Ronald Reagan penned a proclamation that said, "Throughout our history Americans have put their faith in God and no one can doubt that we have been blessed for it."

Faith in God has formed the foundation of our country, and for more than two centuries it has played a central role in the American identity.

Highlights

By Newt Gingrich
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
5/31/2018 (5 years ago)

Published in Politics & Policy

Keywords: God, United States, Nation

President Reagan was exactly right. Since America's founding, our country has remained a global beacon of hope and an example of freedom and liberty. Despite horrendous challenges and setbacks, America has remained the freest, most prosperous country in the world. 

A key reason for this remarkable history of liberty is that the Founders built our nation on the belief that the inherent rights possessed by each human being come from God rather than government. 

As I explain in my new book, Trump's America: The Truth About Our Nation's Great Comeback: 

"In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson cited 'the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God' as the authority under which Americans had the right to claim autonomy from England. He went on to write that 'all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.' This statement serves as the cornerstone of our individual liberties because it recognizes that our Creator is the ultimate authority over any government of human beings, and that we receive our rights from our Creator - not our government."

Faith in God has formed the foundation of our country, and for more than two centuries it has played a central role in the American identity. 

As I mention in Trump's America, not only has faith inspired our Founders, but it has also lifted up the American people during times of uncertainty and fear. 

On June 6, 1944, 156,000 American, British, and Canadian forces stormed five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the French coastline in the region of Normandy. As the mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters, and sons and daughters of our brave soldiers sat in their living rooms fearing for the lives and safety of their loved ones on D-Day, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt addressed the nation over the radio. 

Roosevelt intuited that no update or strategic explanation of the conflict in Normandy - which lasted for another grueling two months - could provide the comfort and reassurance needed by the American people; so he asked the nation to join him in prayer.

Roosevelt's words stir the soul even today: 

"Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity. Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith. They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph."

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In one of America's darkest hours, President Roosevelt's act of faith brought the country together as one. His humble prayer provided a sense of unity and support for not only those at home but also for those standing bravely on the frontlines.

Similarly, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. relied on faith to inspire change and lead a peaceful revolution in his efforts to bring freedom to all Americans during the Civil Rights Movement.

Dr. King wrote in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail in 1963, "just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town."

Dr. King led and inspired non-violent marches, protests, and rallies for freedom, justice, and equality around the nation. His faith was central to the Civil Rights Movement's success and ensuring equality for all Americans.

However, in recent decades, Americans have seen religion and the role that it plays in the lives of citizens come under attack. We've consistently seen the sanctity and importance of faith challenged and undermined in our college campuses, public schools, city halls, and courts. 

But President Trump is working hard to reestablish faith as one of the focal points of our national identity - just as the Founders intended. 

As president, he adamantly supports the protection of religious liberty. This was clear in his remarks at this year's National Prayer Breakfast. He encouraged each of us to also be "inspired by our fellow citizens," and to "resolve to find the best within ourselves" so that together we can "seek to build a more just and peaceful world, where every child can grow up without violence, worship without fear, and reach their God-given potential."

As Americans, we must not forget the central role that faith and religious liberty have played in our country - and we must continue to boldly walk forward together as one nation, under God. 

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