In a time when our country faces a number of challenges, from a struggling economy to security threats from Russia and Iran, I think it’s important that we take a step back and ask ourselves this question: how did America become great?
From the time of Adam and Eve, people throughout history have organized themselves in various ways – families, neighborhoods, nations – but none of these groups in human history has every achieved the opportunity, security and prosperity of America. How did this happen? We’re just humans like everyone else on this planet. There are plenty of nations that have been in existence much longer than the United States and yet those countries in their long histories have been unable to match what the U.S. has accomplished in just 230 years. Why?
People from those older countries founded the United States, yet they were unable to achieve in their homelands what they did here. The Founding Fathers were British, but why were they unable to make England as great as America? Why did they have to uproot their lives and come to the new world to do it?
There is no difference between us and people from other countries, yet the United States has become the richest, the most powerful and the most technologically advanced country in human history. We are a nation that has liberated hundreds of millions of people from oppression in the last century alone. We are a nation that rebuilt Europe after the horrors of World War II. By giving the Philippines independence after WWII, we became the only nation in history to win a war and willingly lose territory. We are the nation that has invented many of the luxuries we take for granted every day. We are the nation the world turns to when they need humanitarian aid in the wake of natural disasters.
How did this happen? This answer is very simple. In a word: freedom. Most of the people around the world don’t have the degree of freedom that we enjoy. The Founding Fathers recognized that freedom is an essential part of our creation. The made very clear in our founding documents that we are endowed by our Creator with the inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Every human is born with these rights, but many live in places where they are not allowed to fully exercise those rights.
Our ancestors were allowed to exercise these rights and they used them to build, to invent, and ultimately to make the United States of America the greatest nation the world has ever seen. It is that freedom that allows us to come to college to pursue our own ambitions and do what we love. We have the power to do anything we want if we desire it bad enough and are willing to put in the amount of work necessary. The Founders recognized this, and more importantly they recognized that this power doesn’t come from politicians. Truth be told, it doesn’t come from we the people, either. It first comes from God Almighty.
The answers to all the challenges our country faces come directly from above, and are transmitted to our hearts so we can act on them. As long as we follow that flow of action, we’ll be all right. The answer to our economic concerns is as close as your wallet or purse. How ironic that the answer is to be found right on the symbol of the problem: IN GOD WE TRUST.
November 17, 2008
How Did America Become Great?
Posted by Code Walrus at 8:51 PM
Labels: Andrew Lacy
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7 comments:
In god we trust? You are aware that a few of the founding fathers -- especially Jefferson -- were staunch atheists, right?
First off, explain to me these security threats from Iran and Russia. There aren't any. Iran is a far far far way away (and remember, it's a DEMOCRACY that VOTES for its leaders, just like Russia), and Russia has too many social problems to actually think about attacking a far-flung nation. There would be no point.
Also, Rome managed to gain what we had, from their historical perspective. Then they spread themselves too thin by fighting stupid wars they didn't need to fight in distant lands, their economy went to hell and then they disappeared. So, again, you're wrong.
Third, many nations do have our degree of freedom and MORE. Switzerland, Sweden, Germany -- they all have a lot more freedom to practice the religion they want (or lack of religion) without persecution.
We shouldn't be forced to believe your beliefs in god. That's why America is so great, as opposed to the former theocracy that Aghanistan was.
How is the answer to our economic concerns "IN GOD WE TRUST" ? We're going to all sit around and pray instead of working to innovate? We're going to give ourselves up to god and he's going to go, "Wellll okay I guess I'll help you out, even though you've allowed all of those deregulated banks to rape you dry."
I see. Well, that makes sense.
Actually, if you investigate Jefferson's beliefs, you'll see that while he was not a traditional Christian, he was far from an atheist. In fact, the only one of the founders I've come across in my research who could possibly be considered an atheist is Thomas Paine.
As far as Iran and Russia, we know Iran is actively seeking nuclear weapons, which they fully intend to use against Israel. Once that happens, the entire Mid East is going to be set on fire. Iran is allied with Russia, and if you look at a map, the shortest land route from Moscow to Jerusalem goes right through South Ossetia. Russia also controls the vast majority of western Europe's oil supply and can cut that off whenever they like.
Third, I'm not saying you should all follow my beliefs, but like it or not, this is a nation founded on Christian principles dating as far back as the Mayflower Compact.
Obviously, I'm not so foolish as to suggest that we can answer our concerns by simply praying and not acting. I'm just saying that for Christians as individuals, these things aren't that important in the larger scheme of things. America will find a way to bounce back from our problems and be stronger as a result. We've done it before and we can do it again.
Jefferson was a deist at best.
He created his own bible that took out all references to miracles, and most references to God.
Adams, Hamilton (until the very end of his life), Madison...all deists, far from Christians in any sense of the word.
As I said, Jefferson was far from a traditional Christian, but he was even farther from an atheist. For Hamilton, it's hard to be sure because he very rarely spoke of his faith publicly.
As for Adams and Madison, words mean things, and their words would tend to disagree with you.
Adams: "I must submit all my hopes and fears to an overruling Providence; in which, unfashionable as the faith may be, I firmly believe." (Letter to Abigail Adams, July 3, 1776)
Madison: "It is impossible for the man of pious reflection not to perceive in [the ability of the delegates to reach agreement on the Constitution of the United States] a finger of that Almight Hand, which has been so frequently and signally extended to our relief." (Federalist #17, Jan. 11, 1788)
Regardless, I reiterate that Thomas Paine is the only one of the founders I am aware of who could potentially be considered an atheist. All the others were men of faith.
Obviously Adams was referring to Providence, Rhode Island, a city that would soon develop in years to come.
And that sucks that Madison would call it the "Almight Hand." You'd think he would've, you know, worked on his grammar.
Yes, I was typing too quickly and had a typo, therefore my entire argument is invalid. Either that or you don't have an actual response.
Your entire argument is invalid if you can't spend enough time to polish your writing before posting it for all to consume.
If you actually care about your argument, then you will, yes, look over it and check for typos, basic grammar, etc. I can let a few dangling modifiers slide, but your writing is horrible in general. You really don't cite anything when you make your claims (not a single scholarly study or news story or anything).
You just go blah blah blah.
America did not become great because of a god, doofus. That's like saying America became awesome because we have David Copperfield, a magician, who -- like god -- is just as equally plausible.
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