What Are Your Thoughts About Government Officials Testifying of Christ?

The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday concerns the role that Christianity should play in our government and in our society – public life. It is no secret that the Founding Fathers of America – those men who wrote the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution – believed in the Christian idea of God.

There have been times in recent years where it was not acceptable to wish “Merry Christmas” to anyone – friend or enemy. When Donald Trump became President of the United States for his first term, he specifically said that we were bringing Merry Christmas back. This was good news to millions of Americans.

Now we have an administration that openly and unapologetically share their personal witness of Jesus Christ. While I personally enjoy and appreciate hearing people testify of Jesus Christ, I wonder how other people feel about government officials doing so. Andrea Picciotti-Bayer shared some of the same feelings in her article. 

In recent months, the unapologetic, personal Christian witness of public officials – and their open collaboration with pastors, priests, and other faith leaders – has drawn new attention. For me, these moments have been deeply moving and inspiring.

For many in the mainstream media, however, this has been profoundly unsettling, prompting warnings that the nation is sliding toward a form of “Christian nationalism.”

Are they right?

The question may be something of a red herring, but it’s worth addressing. Faith has always shaped American life. The founders never intended to build a secular vacuum; they expected religion to cultivate the virtues that a free people need. At the same time, they knew that belief cannot be imposed. True liberty demands space for religion to flourish – and restraint against coercion.

Living authentically as believers in public life is not the same as enforcing religion on others. The former honors conscience and its freedom while allowing faith to enrich society; the latter distorts faith and undermines pluralism….

It’s here that we must remain careful: If religious witness is perceived as a partisan tool, its power is weakened. The church’s mission is not political victory but the salvation of souls, offered freely to hearts and minds.

…The members of the presidential Religious Liberty Commission include influential evangelical and Catholic leaders as well as a prominent Jewish rabbi. They have spoken openly about their beliefs and their conviction that faith will heal many of our nation’s divisions.

At the Commission’s third hearing held last week, testimony highlighted ongoing pressures faced by people of faith working to educate our nation’s youth. Catholic Fr. Robert Sirico described relentless targeting by state officials of Sacred Heart Academy, a private, Catholic parochial school in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Sirico deftly clarified the line between faith and power during Q&A: “I’m not advocating the creation of a theocracy. I’m very happy to have a cultural competition of ideas.”

Sirico’s words remind us that resisting coercion is not the same as desiring the control of the public square; it is the defense of the right to live one’s faith fully and contribute accordingly.

Contrast this with the temptation of adherents of Christian nationalism to weaponize the faith for worldly power and control. Such ideologies blur the necessary distinction between the spiritual and temporal, collapsing them into one.

When that happens, both church and state are diminished. Christ himself made this clear when He told Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36)….

Rejecting such ideologies, of course, does not mean ignoring hostility toward Christianity. Believers today are often dismissed as intolerant or branded as bigots.

Yet, the founders were clear: Free institutions depend on moral citizens, and morality is nurtured by religion.

George Washington called religion and morality “indispensable supports” of political prosperity. John Adams warned that the Constitution was made for a “moral and religious people” and is inadequate for any other. At the same time, they recognized that belief must never be forced.

This is why religious pluralism and freedom matter so deeply. The Catholic Church affirmed this in “Dignitatis Humanae,” the Second Vatican Council’s declaration on religious liberty. It teaches that safeguarding religious freedom benefits both individuals and the Church, while respecting the God-given free will of every person.

America’s constitutional commitment to religious liberty reflects this wisdom, ensuring that Christianity and other faiths can flourish.

The divisions before us are real – but not irreparable. As the nation looks to its semi quincentennial, Christians should reflect on how faith has shaped civic life and be confident that it can help us confront today’s challenges. At the same time, we must resist the temptation to wield political power to impose Christianity….

 

America - Still the Best Hope

                    The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is that the United States of America is still the best hope for the world.  The government of the United States was established on certain principles and truths, and those American values can and will bring lasting peace and prosperity to the world.

                    I recently spent a couple of weeks in Kansas with one of my daughters and her family.  We visited the city library while I was there, and I found a newly published book entitled Still the Best Hope - Why the World Needs American Values to Triumph by Dennis Prager.  I did not have enough time to carefully read the entire book, but I read as much of it as possible and glanced through the remainder of it.  I found the book to be very interesting and enlightening and highly recommend it to anyone who understands that Americans must return to constitutional principles into order for our nation and the world to survive and prosper. 

                    The author stated that he wrote the book "because I am convinced that there is a way to end most evil [deliberate infliction of death, cruelty, oppression, and other injustices on fellow human beings].

                    "The only proven way to achieve this on any large scale is the American value system.  These values are proclaimed on every American coin:  `Liberty,' `In God We Trust,' `E Pluribus Unum'" (p. 1).

                    Prager also stated that he intended the book "for several audiences":  1) "Americans who already affirm American values….  Few Americans can articulate what is distinctive about American values, or even what they are…" (p. 1).

                    2) "Americans and all others - who either do not believe that the American value system is as described, or that it is the best ever devised, or that there is even such a thing as a specifically American value system…" (p. 2).

                    3) Non-Americans:  "As this book goes to print, it is becoming obvious that the European attempt to create a welfare state alternative to the American model has failed.  Begun after World War II, the secular welfare state offered Europeans and sympathetic non-Europeans an alternate to American religiosity and to what the welfare state's supporters depict as cutthroat, heartless American free market capitalism.  But some fifty to sixty years later, it is clear that this state is economically - and … morally - unsustainable.  Of the two democratic models - the European and the American - only the American one works and can endure….  Americanism … wants all peoples to retain their national culture and allegiances" (p. 2).

                    One major goal of the author of this book "is to present as thorough a dissection of Leftism as has been written …. An overall explanation of the inherent moral and intellectual defects of Leftism, along with an explanation of why so many people believe in it despite its terrible track record…."

                    The author claims that he "almost never judge[s] the motive or the character of people with Left-wing views" because he has family, friends and acquaintances "who hold those views, and whom I adore."  He also claims that it is "easy to love friends" because "we choose them."  He gave a great reason for the importance of the family:  "It teaches us to love people with whom we may have major disagreements" (p. 3).

                    Prager explained the difference between the use of the world "liberal" and "Left" - which are often "used interchangeably."  "There was a difference between liberals and the Left for many decades.  In the United States, the distinction ended after the Vietnam War.  The John F. Kennedy-type liberal - anti-Communist, in favor of using American power to spread liberty, and for lower taxes to stimulate economic growth - essentially died with his assassination on November 22, 1963" (p. 4). 

                    The author explained that he was "interested in identifying Leftist positions" rather than "Leftist individuals."  Many people identify themselves as liberal but "actually hold many conservative positions" (p. 4).

                    Prager has the hope that "Islam can be reformed and become a major world force for liberty, justice, and goodness" "without dropping belief in the Koran or in Muhammad as Allah's messenger."  "There are hundreds of millions of good and decent people in the Muslim world who can use their Muslim identity as a force for good."

                    The author contends that "the future [of humanity] will be Leftist, Islamist, or American" and that "the three ideologies are incompatible."  By "Leftist" he means the "values" of the "Western welfare state, secularism … attitudes and positions identified as Left from Karl Marx to contemporary socialist democrat parties and today's Democratic Party in the United States…."  By "Islamist" he means those "who wish to see as much of the world as possible governed by Sharia, Islamic law…."  By "American" he means those values imprinted on every American coin.  He calls these values the "`American Trinity':  `Liberty,' `In God We Trust,' and `E. Pluribus Unum' (`Out of Many, One')" (pp. 7-8).

                    Prager wrote that even though "there are many good people in each group," these "three ideologies are incompatible."  "The question is … which of the three ideologies is more likely to produce better people and a better society" (pp. 8-9).

                    The author believes that there are both Leftists and Muslims who are good Americans, but "The fact is that the three ideologies are incompatible.  Any one of them succeeds at the expense of the other two.  All Islamists know this, and many Leftists, know this, but most of those holding American values do not.  This book explains why they are incompatible, but I will cite some examples here.  The American value of `Liberty' is at odds with a Sharia-based society and with the Leftist commitment to material equality; `E Pluribus Unum' is at odds with the Leftist commitment to multiculturalism; and `In God We Trust' conflicts with both the Leftist commitment to secularism and the Islamic ideal of a Sharia-based state…." (pp. 9-10).

                    Prager stated that American values "allow, even encourage, people to keep their religious, ethnic, and cultural identities" while millions of "Muslims are prepared to spread Islam violently" (p. 10).

                    The author believes that Leftism is a "religion" just as surely as Christianity and Islam are.  It is a "secular form of religion" which is being spread "much more vigorously" than Christianity, and its "beliefs and values" are being taught in "high schools and universities" (pp. 11-12).  "For the majority of people in the West, the Left's view of life is not considered only the Left's view, but in fact the only legitimate view of life."  It is considered to be "normal" (p. 12).  "Most of all, Leftism is a religion because those who believe in its tenets often do so as fervently as religious Jews, Muslims, and Christians believe in their tenets…" (p. 13).

                    Prager wrote "… America represents the last great holdout against Leftism in the non-Muslim world.  In this sense, America represents the same thing to the Leftist as it does to the Islamist:  the greatest barrier to its success.  Islam and the Left are ideological enemies, but as long as America is strong and neither Muslim or Leftist, both fundamental Islam and the Left are allied in one way - anti-Americanism."

                    The author argues that this is the reason why the Left always defends Muslims.  He gave the "Ground Zero mosque" as one example.  He also cited the large "demonstrations in Western Europe since 1980 that "always" involve "people on the Left and/or led by groups on the Left."  "It is difficult to cite a single Leftist demonstration against any of the worst evils since World War II.  Why?  Because all those evils were committed by Leftist and Islamist regimes or groups, not by America" (p. 14).

                    Prager made an interesting point that I had never previously considered:  "Leftist peace activists demonstrate against war in large numbers only when the United States and/or Israel are at war.  There were few demonstrations when Sudan's blacks were murdered in mass or the genocides in Rwanda, Cambodia, or Congo or China's crushing Tibet or when Saddam Hussein warred against Iran, Kuwait, and the Kurds in Iraq.  The Left seems to be much more vocal about America's wars than these greater problems.  The Left does not seem much concerned when atrocities are committed by non-whites.  Israel is the only other country besides America that gets boycotted by the Left" (pp. 13-15).

                    The author explained three different obstacles to spreading American values.  First, the United States is the only country that claims to be Judeo-Christian while both "socialism/secularism and Islam" "dominate many countries."  "That is why America goes it alone" except when conservative governments are in power in Israel, Britain, Canada, and Australia. 

                    A second obstacle to spreading American values is the simple fact that "neither Judeo-Christian nor individual liberty nor free market values are secure in American."

                    A third obstacle is that few of us are "teaching the next generation of Americans what constitutes the American value system, let alone what is superior, or even simply unique about it.  American children are overwhelmingly educated by people who believe in European, not American, values" (pp. 15-16).

                    Prager further explained that the only way the American value system can prevail is if more Americans are willing to fight and win the ideological war within the United States.  "But with America's universities, labor unions, mainstream news media, entertainment media, and one of its two major parties ideologically aligned with European socialist values and with big businesses frequently aligning" (p. 16), it will be very difficult to win this war.

                    Prager explained that he believed there were only three alternatives because he didn't think China would prove to be a fourth alternative.  "Either China will become a freer society or it, too, will fail.  And along with liberty, it will still have to affirm values beyond material success in order to succeed as America has" (p. 17).

                    As I explained earlier, I found the book to be extremely interesting and well-worth reading.  The author articulately explains how things are and why they are that way.  I am seriously contemplating purchasing the book in order to finish reading it as well as to have it as a reference in my home.  I highly recommend this book to any serious, constitutionally-based student of politics.

                    

Columbus Day

Columbus Day was celebrated in the United States on October 11. It honors Christopher Columbus for his first voyage to America in 1492. It became a legal federal holiday in the United States in 1971 and is celebrated on the second Monday in October. Prior to 1971, several states celebrated Columbus Day on October 12 with cities and organizations sponsoring parades and banquets.
The first Columbus Day celebration was held in 1792 when New York City celebrated the 300 year anniversary of the discovery of the New World. President Benjamin Harrison called upon the people of the United States in 1892 to celebrate the 400 year anniversary of the event. Since 1920 Columbus Day has been celebrated annually.

There are many monuments that honor Columbus even though the land he discovered was not named after him. The Republic of Colombia in South America and the District of Columbia in the United States both bear his name. There are also towns, rivers, streets, and public buildings named after him. The United States is sometimes referred to as Columbia in poetic personifications. There are about 350,000 volumes on the American republics located in the Columbus Memorial Library in Washington, D.C.

October 12 is celebrated as the Dia de la Raza (Day of the Race) in many Latin-American nations to honor the Spanish heritage of the peoples of Latin America. Speeches, parades, and colorful fiestas are all part of the celebration.

Facts for this post came from an article by Jack Santino in World Book Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p 865.

Christopher Columbus

I wrote a post about Christopher Columbus last year because I considered him to be a very important person in the history of America. I was surprised by all the negative comments in the media about him last year and so decided to make him my VIP again this week. There isn't much new information about him since last year so I will simply re-do my post from a year ago. I think it is really important that we remember history as it really happened and not as progressives want us to think that it happened.

According to William J. Bennett (America The Last Best Hope, Volume 1), Columbus was a "tall, red-haired sea captain from Genoa, Italy" (p 1). Since I have some tall, red-haired grandchildren and sons-in-law with connections to Italy, this became an interesting fact to me.

As you probably know, Columbus received fame by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean in search of a sea route to Asia. He did not find Asia but instead found the New World. Another interesting fact that I learned while studying about Columbus is that the scholars of that time period already knew that the world was a sphere. Way back when I was in school, we were taught that the people still believed that the earth was flat and if a person sailed far enough they could fall off the earth.

I also learned why the Europeans were searching for a sea route to Asia. It seems that the European nations at the time of Columbus were at war with the Ottoman Turks who conquered much of southeastern Europe and had made Constantinople (now known as Istanbul, Turkey) their capital in 1453. This became a problem for Europe because it cut off the European access to Asia and the treasures there. It also meant that the Europeans had to choose between making a difficult and dangerous journey over land or go by sea around Africa or westward across the Atlantic. Columbus was only one of numerous sailors searching for a sea route (Marvin Lunenfeld, World Book Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, 857).

Columbus sought financial aid from Spain's monarchs (Ferdinand and Isabella) over a period of several years and finally obtained funding in 1492. Ferdinand and Isabella were strong Catholics so Columbus' faith probably had an important appeal to them. His first name means "bearer of Christ" (Bennett, America, p 3).

As you know, he took three ships - the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. He was the captain of the Santa Maria while two Spanish brothers captained the other two ships. A month after the ships left Spain on August 3, 1492, the approximately ninety Spanish sailors became anxious about sailing for so long without finding land. The Italian captain kept stringing them along and not wanting them to know just how far they had traveled. "Threatened with mutiny by his crew, Columbus was forced to promise his captains on October 9 that if they failed to sight land within three days, they would all turn about and head back to Spain" (Bennett, America, p 4). Why did he choose three days? Was he guessing or had he received some inspiration? The sailors started seeing signs of land such as land based birds and coastal seaweed. Finally on October 12, 1492, the three ships landed on an island in the Caribbean Sea in what is now the West Indies. Columbus named the island San Salvador (Spanish for Holy Savior). Historians do not know which island Columbus landed on. Using their best guesses, they decided that Watling Island in the Bahamas was the most likely landing spot and renamed this island San Salvador in 1926 (Lunenfeld, World Book Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, 860).

The Santa Maria crashed on a reef on Christmas Eve and broke apart. Columbus left part of his men in the New World to hunt for gold and took two ships back to Spain, arriving there on March 15, 1493. There he was honored by Ferdinand and Isabella at a great reception.

According to the World Book Encyclopedia article, Columbus' impact on history was huge. His search for a westward route to Asia changed European's ideas about the world and led to contact between Europe and America. This contact brought both good and bad results. Europeans brought many deadly diseases to America to which the Native Americans had no resistance. Malaria, measles, smallpox, tetanus, typhus, etc. swept through the newly exposed population and killed many. In return, Europeans became infected by a form of syphilis not previously known in Europe.

There was also an exchange of many foods, animals and plants. America provided cassava, cayenne, chocolate, hot peppers, paprika, peanuts, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and potatoes. Europe and Asia sent cattle, goats, honey bees, horses, pigs, sheep, wheat and many trees and plants.

The freedom-loving people of the Americas with their ideas of sharing leadership showed the European's a new kind of personal liberty to the Europeans. The new belief inspired by the Native Americans "became a basis for democratic revolutions against European monarchies and greatly influenced the structure of government in the United States" (p 864).

Even though Columbus came to the Americas many years before the U.S. Constitution was written, we now know that his voyage had much greater effect than simply discovering the New World, a discovery that was foretold about 592 B.C. by a prophet (1 Nephi 13:12).

Columbus made three other trips to the New World. He spent his last days living in a modest home in Valladolid, Spain. He suffered from a disease that might have been Reiter's syndrome and died on May 20, 1506, at the age of 54. He was a wealthy man when he died. His remains were transported to Seville, Spain and later to Santo Domingo, in what is now known as the Dominican Republic. There is some dispute about where his final resting place is. Some historians believe that his remains were moved to Havana, Cuba, in 1795, and then back to Seville in 1899. Other historians believe the bones of Columbus are still in Santo Domingo and remains moved were either those of one of his brothers or of his son Diego.

Manifest Destiny

The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is that the United States must be an example and blessing to every other nation on earth because it has a manifest destiny to do so. From Christopher Columbus to the Pilgrims and Puritans to the Founding Father - all American settlers felt a strong sense of mission. They felt that they were part of a divine plan and had a manifest destiny to bless all human beings. John Adams stated, "I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder, as the opening of a grand scene and design in Providence for the illumination of the ignorant and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth." (Quoted in Conrad Cherry, God's New Israel, p 65). This same idea of manifest destiny continues today as expressed by every new President of the United States. Our Founders - as well as many Americans today - felt the responsibility to provide superior leadership and service to the people of the world. Our Founders understood that they had created a unique government, and they felt the responsibility to make it successful. John Jay, one of the Founders, wrote: "It has often given me pleasure to observe that independent America was not composed of detached and distant territories, but that one connected, fertile, wide-spreading country was the portion of our western sons of liberty. Providence has in a particular manner blessed it with a variety of soils and productions and watered it with innumerable streams for the delight and accommodation of its inhabitants. A succession of navigable waters forms a kind of chain round its borders, as if to bind it together; while the most noble rivers in the world, running at convenient distances, present them with highways for the easy communication of friendly aids and the mutual transportation and exchange of their various commodities. John Jay added, "With equal pleasure I have often taken notice that Providence has been pleased to give this one connected country to one united people - a people descended from the same ancestors, speaking the same language, professing the same religion, attached to the same principles of government, very similar in their manners and customs, and who, by their joint counsels, arms, and efforts, fighting side by side throughout a long and bloody war, have nobly established their general liberty and independence." John Jay ended with these thoughts: "This country and this people seem to have been made for each other and it appears as if it was the design of Providence that an inheritance so proper and convenient for a band of brethren, united to each other by the strongest of ties, should never be split into a number of unsocial, jealous, and alien sovereignties" (The Federalist Papers, No 2, p 38). The Founders of our nation shared the same opinion of our nation as many ancient prophets who wrote that America is a promised land which is choice above all other lands. A prophet named Lehi said that if the inhabitants of this land will keep God's commandments, they will prosper and no other nation will molest them nor take away the land. In a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord Jesus Christ said, "According to the laws and Constitution of the people, which I have suffered to be established, and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles; … And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood" (Doctrine and Covenants 101:77, 80). According to this scripture, our Founders were correct in their idea that America has a manifest destiny to be a blessing to all human beings. America and Americans must be prepared to show the people and nations of the world that our example is a good one to follow. Some of the ideas and quotes for this post came from W. Cleon Skousen, The Five Thousand Year Leap, pp 215-219.

Promised Land

Do you believe that America is a chosen land and is protected by God? I do. The first reason for my belief is because I believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God - and this book explains that this land is a "land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands" (1 Nephi 2:20). This book also tells us that "all the land, both on the north and on the south - A chosen land, and the land of liberty" (Alma 46:17). Again, this book teaches that "after the waters [of the Flood in Noah's time] had receded from off the face of this land it became a choice land above all other lands, a chosen land of the Lord" (Ether 13:2). The Book of Mormon also describes a vision given to a prophet named Nephi. In this vision Nephi saw a man [Columbus] who traveled across "the many waters" to the promised land. He was followed by others [Pilgrims] "who went out of captivity, upon the many waters" in "multitudes." The vision showed these multitudes in the promised land battling with their mother nation [Revolutionary War] and being "delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations" (1 Nephi 13:12-19). When Jesus Christ visited the inhabitants of the Americas (3 Nephi 11-26), He gave them a sign of when the gathering of Israel would take place. He said, "… I give unto you a sign, that ye may know the time when these things [gathering] shall be about to take place …. When these things [Book of Mormon] … shall be made known …. For it is wisdom in the Father that they should be established in this land, and be set up as a free people by the power of the Father…." (3 Nephi 21:1-4). From these scriptures we know that God considers America to be a chosen land and wants the inhabitants of it to be free in order to bless all mankind. The second reason why I believe America to be a chosen land that is protected by God is found in the history of the United States of America. I believe - as did he - that Columbus was led by God to discover the New World. I believe that God raised up George Washington to lead our nation in its battle for independence. I also believe that God blessed Washington and his rag tag army to obtain victory over the greatest military on earth at the time. I believe that God prepared and raised up the men who wrote the United States Constitution. I believe that God provided leaders such as Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan to lead our nation during perilous times. I also believe that God brought victory to the United States at critical times during several wars - examples are the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War and Battle of Midway during World War II. I believe that God blesses America because there are millions of Americans who worship the God of this land, even Jesus Christ. I know that I am not alone in believing that there is something exceptional about the United States. Millions of people in this country think America is special, and many more millions across the world look to the United States for an example and for hope. "Belief in a nation's exceptionalism seems to be almost entirely an American trait. For example, as documented in a recent survey, nearly three-quarters of United States citizens say they are proud to be Americans. Fewer than a third of the people in France, Italy, Germany, or Japan feel the same about their country" (Chris Stewart and Ted Stewart, Seven Miracles That Saved America - Why They Matter and Why We Should Have Hope, p 3). The Stewarts listed the following principles which define "the idea of American exceptionalism": 1) "American's long-held belief that all of God's children are created equal …. All are equal before the law and all should have equal access to the protection of the law…." 2) "America's Constitution - the fact that the `highest law of the land' emphasizes individual rights and decentralization of power…." 3) "The American belief that personal liberty and freedom is the highest priority…." 4) "A belief in a meritocracy - that we should be judged by what we accomplish and what we can do, not by our family lineage…." 5)"Adherence to private morality - a belief that there can be no public virtue without private morality, and that public virtue is essential to the success of our government and the preservation of individual liberty and freedom." 6) "Cultural make-up - Americans are inherently more patriotic, religious, independent, and inventive." 7) "Social integration - a commitment to the social integration of individuals from various racial, religious, and ethnic groups…." 8) "Geographical - recognition that our geography, climate, and abundant natural resources provide us an enormous opportunity for material well-being" (pp 4-5). The Stewarts' book, Seven Miracles That Saved America," is a wonderful explanation of seven different times that God intervened to help keep America free. It is an interesting book to read. It added to my belief that America is a choice nation and will remain choice and blessed as long as its citizens are righteous and worship Jesus Christ.

Homemakers For America

I want to share a little information about a group that I just discovered today. I have searched their website and am impressed with what I see, impressed enough that I am going to do more research on them. As I read through the material on the website, I became more and more excited to know that there is a whole group of women feeling the same way I have been feeling and doing what they can to help families, communities, and our nation. I encourage you to embark on your own investigation of the group. Homemakers for America Inc, was founded on November 11, 2004, when twenty-seven women of all ages, religions, backgrounds and walks of life met together at the charter meeting in Dayton, Ohio. I will tell you a little about the group, but I encourage you to go to their website (www.homemakersforamerica.com) to gain a wider picture of what the women in this group are doing to help families, communities, and our nation: The mission for this group is "to foster an understanding, love, and respect for America's history and heritage, her founding principles and values, her legacy and destiny, and build a nation of informed citizens and devoted patriots one woman and one family at a time." The purpose "is to educate American women and their families on America's history and heritage, promote an understanding and respect for the U.S. Constitution and our founding documents of freedom, inspire an appreciation for our Founding Fathers and their families, cultivate a devotion to our symbols of freedom and allegiance to our citizenship, advance the principles of Liberty this nation was founded on, and teach and guide the women of America how to be actively involved as citizens in their homes, communities and the nation without sacrificing their families." The group is obviously well organized and has a solid foundation. The website listed the following ten goals for the group: "1. Educate and inform women of their power and potential to impact our nation and restore the values of God, Freedom and Family which America was founded on. 2. Educate women on how to become proactive on issues relating to God, Freedom and Family in their communities, their Nation and in their Homes. 3. Encourage every woman in America to read and know the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, to have copies in their homes and teach them to their children. 4. Teach and encourage respect for the flag, our founders, and our heritage and cultivate pride in our nation. 5. Support and promote free enterprise as our founding fathers envisioned, thus giving every woman and family the opportunity to provide for their needs and serve others. 6. Advocate our taxation with representation as accountable and responsible and encourage the elimination of unconstitutional spending of the taxpayers' money. 7. To give homemakers the tools they can use to promote value-based, honest, education of their children. 8. Provide the homemakers of America with a platform and outlet to address their concerns. 9. Provide information on elected officials and how to contact them and during election cycles, provide information on the candidates running and where they stand on the issues on a local, state and national level. 10. Build a large membership of women who are concerned for God, Freedom and Family and teach them how to influence and impact their communities and the nation without sacrificing their families. I am probably most impressed with the list of core beliefs for this group. As I read over the thirty core beliefs listed on the website, I saw many of my own beliefs on the written page. I didn't recognize any of the beliefs as being against my own core beliefs. Some of those core beliefs are: 1. "We believe all people are created by and in the image of God." 2. "We believe in the power of prayer and the importance of praying for our nation and its leaders regardless of their political party." 3. "We believe in being anxiously engaged in a good cause in our families, our communities, and our nation." 4. "We believe mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children and that mothers and fathers are to work together and help each other as equal partners." 5. "We believe that marriage is ordained of God and is to be between man and woman." There are many excellent quotes on the website including this one, "There is no doubt that it is around the family and the home that all the greatest virtues, the most dominating virtues of human society, are created, strengthened and maintained" (Winston Churchill, quoted by Homemakers For America).

I Love America

I love America! I love the beauties of the land, the people, the freedoms and opportunities, the compassion for others, the rule of law, and many other reasons.
I love the "spacious skies," the "amber waves of grain," the "purple mountain majesties" and the "fruited plain" ("America the Beautiful").
I have had the opportunity to drive through many different areas of our country. I've seen landscape and people up close. I have traveled across the United States from the west coast to the eastern seaboard and from the northern border to the southern coast. Every region I've visited has a unique beauty to offer.
I love the mountains and the forests which cover the Northwest. I love the cacti and Joshua trees on the deserts of the Southwest. I love to drive through the flat lands of Kansas and the rolling hills of Missouri. I particularly love to watch the ocean waves crash upon the shores of Alaska, California, Florida, Hawaii, Texas and Virginia.
I thoroughly enjoyed visiting Washington, D.C. and seeing the great works of previous generations. I walked from memorial to memorial and from the Capital Building to the White House. There are many areas in the country that I still want to visit, but the areas I have visited are very beautiful.
I love the opportunities for choice and growth that America gives to us. As Americans we can choose where we want to live, what career we want to follow, and how we want to spend our free time. I particularly love the privilege to travel wherever I choose to go without the need to obtain permission to do so.
I love the standard of living that is available to our people. I love the fact that America provides a way for any of us to do and become anything we want to do or be. America is a place to prove this saying true: "Where there is a will, there is a way!"
I love the fact that the people of the United States have the right to choose those we want to lead our communities, states, and nation. I love the fact that after the votes are counted and a winner determined, there is a peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next.
I love the fact that America is victorious in wars and yet does not claim the defeated territory as a conquest of war. I love the fact that the American people give millions and billions of dollars to help the poor and needy people of the earth and never ask for anything in return. I love the fact that we can conquer evil regimes and then reach out and help the vanquished people to rebuild.
I love to see the Stars and Stripes flying in the breeze. I thrill to see businesses and families flying the colors of our nation. I often feel as Francis Scott Key must have felt when he penned, "Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam, In full glory reflected now shines on the stream; `Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh, long may it wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave" ("The Star-Spangled Banner).
I love the fact that the power of this great nation lies in the people. I love America because I believe that its people are basically good. I believe that the majority of the people love God and country, are concerned about their neighbors, and generally want to do right. I love America!