Our Godly Heritage
Few Americans, Canadians, Australians,
British, South Africans, New Zealanders, and others, know of the religious
heritage of their respective country. They might be shocked to know the
unabashed religious fervor of the Anglo-Saxon founders of their nation.
Former President Woodrow Wilson said, "A
nation which does not remember what it was yesterday, does not know what it is
today, nor what it is trying to do. We are trying to do a futile thing if we do
not know where we came from or what we have been about."
In the original United States Supreme Court,
the jury was not dismissed for deliberation until a minister first came into
the courtroom to pray over the jurors. The Capitol building itself long
served as a Church building. John Quincy Adams, while serving as a U.S.
Senator, regularly attended Church services in the Capitol building. Since its
opening in 1824, huge paintings in the Capitol building depict Christian baptism,
Bible Study, and prayer. A bronze plaque outside the old Supreme Court
Chamber has the inscription, "What hath God wrought?" Our founders
believed that God was at work in the formation of our great nation. This is
clearly evident in His direct intervention in major battles and events of the
War of Independence, the lives and writings of the Founding Fathers, the text
of our founding government documents, and many of our original government
buildings, especially the U.S. Capitol.
Now, the Supreme Court makes ungodly
decisions, and Congress ignores God, while many schools and history books
excise the very mention of God. Rather than conceding defeat, David Barton of Wallbuilders,
PO Box 397, Aledo, TX 76008, has done something to educate Americans on
their religious heritage. In the past ten years, Barton has made nearly 4,000
presentations on America's Godly heritage. We have long recommended his
excellent VHS video, America's Godly Heritage, available on our http://www.giveshare.org/amazon/audiovideo.html website for $16.99 plus postage (or send a $22
donation to Giving & Sharing). Now, Barton is preparing to release a 2
1/2-hour video that illuminates the important role the Christian faith played
in the history of America's Capitol building in Washington, D.C. When Barton
completes the project, we plan to offer The Spiritual Heritage of America's
Capitol video.
It is one thing to recognize our Godly
heritage - it's another thing to walk in the footsteps of our Godly
forebearers. Let's learn about them, and follow their sterling example!