Kagin's Crossing

Independence Day is a celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Most Americans have never read the Declaration of Independence. If you read it you will discover that it opens mentioning God and ends mentioning God. The first, second and last lines of the Declaration of Independence mention God. It is titled the “Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America.” It was unanimous! There was no disagreement in it’s content and consequently, no disagreement in mentioning God. The first two lines of the Declaration of Independence are as follows: “When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinion of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. 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, which among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The last line of the Declaration of Independence reads: “And for the support of this Declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” The governing Declaration, signed by the forefathers of our great Nation, unanimously agreed to have a “firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence.” And they signed it, knowing their very lives would be in jeopardy for doing so. Wow, our country has really changed. It has gotten to the point in our country today where some people are afraid to display their belief in God. Others, who are not afraid, are not permitted to do so. In our country today you cannot make a stand for what you believe in, because someone might get offended. God has been taken out of our public school systems and people in their work places are not permitted to hang crosses. The Ten Commandments cannot be displayed in court rooms and kids can’t say the pledge of allegiance in school anymore, because it mentions God. How is it, as a country, we have gone from our founding forefather’s “firm reliance on the protection of divine providence” to the expulsion of God in society? We have put God in a box. On our American currency, which we all need to survive, it says, “In God We Trust.” Businesses and our economy are dependent on that currency. In our pledge of Allegiance it says, “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” The song America the Beautiful boldly declares, “America, America, God shed his grace on thee..” God always has been a foundational, fundamental aspect of our country. Are we still endowed by our creator with certain “unalienable rights” or are those rights being taken away from us? I hope and pray that God will continue to “shed his grace on thee…” for our nation, it’s businesses, and its leaders, especially when we put God in a box, concealing Him, afraid of what others might think. What has happened to the great leaders in America? Is there anyone left who will take a stand and have a “firm reliance on the protection of divine providence?” Whatever happened to “One Nation Under God?”