Dear America,

The thing is, its not about theology, or religion, too.

It's just history.

There is no question in my mind, the creators of our nation were connected to the very core with a Supreme Being and Higher Power and faith.  They worshiped God.  They gave thanks to God.  They prayed to God when designing our government and demonstrated a love of God in every thought, word and deed, whether at war with England or gathered together to write our Constitution.

There was absolutely no separation.
No doubt.
No wondering if he's really out there.
Just faith.  And lots of it.

If it weren't so real, this faith, we would never have done it; you know, risk everything for a new world in America.

The Revolutionary War was a powerful demonstration of this remarkable faith and it did not stop upon the last shot out of the canon, as if the work was all done and we didn't need God anymore; oh no, our work was just beginning.

Which leads me to why our government was designed in the way that she was; she, like she's just a girl, as if!  But that's not important, America was born, praise be to God; let us give Him thanks.

Oh my, we are sadly so far away from the days resounding in an unwavering faith; not that we really are, of course.  It is just what you would have to believe if the truth were told upon the pages of yahoo, or cnn, or in our schools, or within the framework of our working government today. In spite of it all, the overwhelming majority of this nation still believes (85%).  Can I hear an Amen...

Oh sure, occasionally you will hear a politician say, 'God bless America;' problem is, it just sounds so empty at times -- like you wonder if they are just saying it for poll numbers or if they really believe the magnificence in their own choice of words.

God Bless America... and the rest of this beautiful world too...is that so awful? Are these words destined to drown in the archives, become obsolete, or worse, grow into indifference or sound cliche?  Do we really have to falter in our faith to get by in this world? 

Oh I get it, it's about being cool,isn't it.
Right...
We're sixteen, I don't wanna have my friends see me in church, or even know! that my parents make me still go.

We have tested our faith, tested our God, and have acted as if we don't need One anymore; it can just be part of our past, we say.  It can just be part of the days of yore, before we knew we could make it on our own; a part of another generation that was entirely too old fashioned about everything having to do with life and liberty -- let alone the pursuit of happiness.  Geez, you old geeezers; wake up and taste the Starbucks for it's Friday, so let's party... and Saturday night, I've got big plans...and can't wait to sleep in on Sunday morning.

Matter of fact, let's just sleep right on through as much of life as possible, pretending as if we don't need Him. anymore.

That's the thing about these days; we seem to have fallen asleep.  We've lost touch with the age of enlightenment and awe, something most definitely characterized by our founding fathers -- all of them (even the one's who had no religion, too).

From our very own Benjamin Franklin, on June 28, 1787 while deadlocked in controversy at the Constitutional Convention said this:

"In the beginning of the Contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had a daily prayer in this room for the Divine protection.  Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered...to that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And we have forgotten that powerful Friend?  Or do we imagine we no longer need His assurance? [really...didn't I just say that?] 

I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth  - - that God governs in the affairs of men.  And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?   We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that 'except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it.'  I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better that the builders of Babel:  We shall be divided by our partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages...I therefore beg leave to move -- that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations, be held in this assembly every morning before we proceed to business..."

Thoughts from James Madison:

"Religion flourishes in greater purity, without than with the aid of Government."

"And I have no doubt that every new example will succeed, as every past one has done, in showing that religion and Government will both exist in greater purity, the less they are mixed together."

From John Adams:

"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."

"Here is everything which can lay hold the eye, ear and imagination --everything which can charm and bewitch the simple and ignorant.  I wonder how Luther ever broke the spell."

From Joseph Story, appointed to the Supreme Court in 1811 by James Madison, served on the court for 34 years and is said to have been instrumental in establishing the illegality of the slave trade, said this:

"There never has been a period in history, in which the Common Law did not recognize Christianity as lying at its foundation."

"We are not to attribute this prohibition of a national religious establishment [in the First Amendment] to an indifference to religion in general, and especially to Christianity (which none could hold in more reverence than the framers of the Constitution)...that Christianity ought to receive encouragement from the State so far as was not incompatible with the private rights of conscience and the freedom of religious worship. Any attempt to level all religions, and to make it a matter of state policy to hold all in utter indifference, would have created universal disapprobation, if not universal indignation."

"The real object of the First Amendment was not to countenance much less to advance Mohammedanism, or Judaism, or infidelity, by prostrating Christianity, but to exclude all rivalry among Christian sects [denominations] and to prevent any national ecclesiastical patronage of the national government."

You see, we can't really speak about the Constitution, or our Declaration of Independence, or any of the events marking America's humble beginnings of the 18th and 19th centuries without invoking Spirit, God, an Almighty power to which we owe everything -- our life, liberty and the pursuit of Happiness and anything else that makes our very existence tick.  We owe everything to the Most High.

But what has happened to our people's constitution, in our country's Constitution, can be defined as a separation of church and state from which our birth was conceived, denying what came naturally and without pretense during an age we seemed to know better.  We simply knew, deep down in our soul, who to thank, and who to look up to in need, in solace, in joy, in gratitude, for strength and comfort and guidance in framing our government in perfect harmony and peace, a little controversy notwithstanding.

"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.  It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."  John Adams 

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Make it a Good Day, G 

 Finally this, from Frank, as in Sinatra:

"When lip service to some mysterious deity permits bestiality on Wednesday and absolution on Sunday, cash me out."