“We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Today, I wonder how many people can recite these words, much less provide their origin.
When John Hancock placed his signature upon the Declaration of Independence, he was joined by Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and 52 other citizens of the colonies who were willing to sacrifice everything for their cause:
“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”
How many of us would be willing to make such a pledge today? How many of us are willing to stand for a belief in Divine Providence? Why have our leaders relegated a belief in a divine God to the outskirts of the Capitol and to the deserted corners of our nation? If our forefathers believed in Divine Providence, why do our schools ban any expression of belief in God from the classrooms?
I was in court the other day when a witness took the oath, he was asked, “Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?” What happened to “so help me God”? Have we reached the point where it’s okay to worship celebrities, athletes and movie stars, but it’s not okay to worship God?
Deep in my heart I still believe that we are a nation that believes in a creator God. We were once a light on the hill that cast out the darkness that had permeated the Earth before the birth of America. The beacon of freedom shined in the darkness and beckoned all those oppressed by tyranny and despots to seek shelter from a raging storm.
We saved the world and after defeating the darkest forces of fascism, we rebuilt Europe and Asia. Today our president apologizes for our past greatness and pursues a course that weakens and demeans our nation and whittles away our personal freedom.
We still are the greatest nation on Earth. If we allow our prejudice and shortsightedness to take precedence over wisdom, discipline and honor we dishonor all those that made the ultimate sacrifice in defeating our enemies both foreign and domestic.
As we enjoy the “rockets’ red glare and the bombs bursting in air” this Fourth of July, let us go forth with an attitude of gratefulness, humility and commitment to our families and our nation. Let us strive to keep the torch of freedom burning so that we remain the last great hope of mankind.