The Father of our Country, our nation's first President and possibly still it's greatest citizen in history, George Washington, would be proud that the country decided to name a state after him. That is, until he got wind of what is going on these days in that state. Upon learning of these developments, the great man would be rolling over in his grave. Washington state has today become one of the worst offenders in the growing attacks on our Judeo-Christian heritage here in America, attacks that have weakened our society and made our very national existence more vulnerable than at any time in its history. This year the state lurched ever further leftward at the state Capitol building itself. Here a Christmas display was erected, as has been the case for decades. A typical manger display with Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus. Some of the most appropriate imagery of the Christmas holiday season. However, right next to it was permitted to be erected a sign on an easel that reads: "There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds." It was placed there by an atheist organization whose sole mission is to drive religion from public discourse. They couch their 'dis-belief', their lack of faith, in a Constitutional argument, stating that no one has a right to force religion down their throats. They are absolutely correct in that regard. Perhaps they aren't aware that those of us who count ourselves among the faithful have no desire to do any such thing. We want them to understand, accept, and embrace that Jesus Christ is their personal Lord and Savior, and that He became man, spread the Word, and then ultimately suffered and died for their individual sins. But we absolutely recognize that there is no value in forcing such a view upon them, and that in fact spreading faith by such force would actually result in no faith whatsoever. We also recognize that their basic Constitutional premise is all wrong as well. The U.S. Constitution does not recognize freedom from religion, it recognizes and protects freedom of religion. It was not designed to keep religion out of the public sphere, simply to ensure that no particular religion became a national one forced into citizens lives. it didn't say that government could not recognize the legitimate faith of its citizens, just that government could not force that faith upon them. What the atheists and other secularists want is their view given at least equal time, but what they are too cowardly to acknowledge is the fact that their view cannot stand on its own. So they come crawling out of the wood work at Christmastime, the most magical, happy, and holy time of the Christian year. God forbid (pun intended) that they move for some type of 'humanist' or 'atheist' holiday, a 'No God Day', in say the middle of August. No one would pay any attention to them. There would be no decorations, no store discounts for shoppers, no television movies. Theirs is a lost effort, as lost as their individual souls are, at least for the time being. So they attack Christmas, rather than taking their position and letting it stand on its own. The state of Washington and its spineless Governor Christine Gregoire, supposedly a Catholic, who could do something to lead her state out of this quagmire but refuses to do so, are causing embarrassment to the nation. They are also causing their namesake, a painting of him praying at Valley Forge being my all-time favorite piece of art (pictured), to turn over in his grave. Merry Christmas to all as we move forward in this holy season, and may God bless and heal the governor and the citizens of Washington state, and indeed our nation as a whole.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Washington Rolling Over in His Grave
The Father of our Country, our nation's first President and possibly still it's greatest citizen in history, George Washington, would be proud that the country decided to name a state after him. That is, until he got wind of what is going on these days in that state. Upon learning of these developments, the great man would be rolling over in his grave. Washington state has today become one of the worst offenders in the growing attacks on our Judeo-Christian heritage here in America, attacks that have weakened our society and made our very national existence more vulnerable than at any time in its history. This year the state lurched ever further leftward at the state Capitol building itself. Here a Christmas display was erected, as has been the case for decades. A typical manger display with Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus. Some of the most appropriate imagery of the Christmas holiday season. However, right next to it was permitted to be erected a sign on an easel that reads: "There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds." It was placed there by an atheist organization whose sole mission is to drive religion from public discourse. They couch their 'dis-belief', their lack of faith, in a Constitutional argument, stating that no one has a right to force religion down their throats. They are absolutely correct in that regard. Perhaps they aren't aware that those of us who count ourselves among the faithful have no desire to do any such thing. We want them to understand, accept, and embrace that Jesus Christ is their personal Lord and Savior, and that He became man, spread the Word, and then ultimately suffered and died for their individual sins. But we absolutely recognize that there is no value in forcing such a view upon them, and that in fact spreading faith by such force would actually result in no faith whatsoever. We also recognize that their basic Constitutional premise is all wrong as well. The U.S. Constitution does not recognize freedom from religion, it recognizes and protects freedom of religion. It was not designed to keep religion out of the public sphere, simply to ensure that no particular religion became a national one forced into citizens lives. it didn't say that government could not recognize the legitimate faith of its citizens, just that government could not force that faith upon them. What the atheists and other secularists want is their view given at least equal time, but what they are too cowardly to acknowledge is the fact that their view cannot stand on its own. So they come crawling out of the wood work at Christmastime, the most magical, happy, and holy time of the Christian year. God forbid (pun intended) that they move for some type of 'humanist' or 'atheist' holiday, a 'No God Day', in say the middle of August. No one would pay any attention to them. There would be no decorations, no store discounts for shoppers, no television movies. Theirs is a lost effort, as lost as their individual souls are, at least for the time being. So they attack Christmas, rather than taking their position and letting it stand on its own. The state of Washington and its spineless Governor Christine Gregoire, supposedly a Catholic, who could do something to lead her state out of this quagmire but refuses to do so, are causing embarrassment to the nation. They are also causing their namesake, a painting of him praying at Valley Forge being my all-time favorite piece of art (pictured), to turn over in his grave. Merry Christmas to all as we move forward in this holy season, and may God bless and heal the governor and the citizens of Washington state, and indeed our nation as a whole.
