American Minute from William J. Federer
Navy torpedo boat PT 109 was rammed AUGUST 2, 1943, by a Japanese destroyer and sunk. The commander sustained permanent back injuries yet helped survivors swim miles to shore, which unfortunately was behind enemy lines in the Solomon Islands. After a daring rescue, he was awarded the Medal of heroism. Though one of his brothers was killed in the war, he went on to become a Congressman, Senator, and the 35th U.S. President.
His name was John F. Kennedy, who stated in his Inaugural Address: "Let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own."
In the White House Rose Garden, November 21, 1961, John F. Kennedy said: "When we all - regardless of our particular religious convictions - draw our guidance and inspiration, and really, in a sense, moral direction, from the same general area, the Bible, the Old and the New Testaments, we have every reason to believe that our various religious denominations should live together in the closest harmony."
Kennedy concluded: "The basic presumption of the moral law, the existence of God, man's relationship to Him - there is generally consensus on those questions."
Saturday, August 02, 2008
A Recipe for Harmony
William J. Federer is a nationally recognized author, speaker, and president of Amerisearch, Inc, which is dedicated to researching our American heritage. The American Minute radio feature looks back at events in American history on the dates they occurred, is broadcast daily across the country and read by thousand on the internet.
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4 comments:
jfk also said this at that time and place,
We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans--born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage--and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
This much we pledge--and more.
we have come too far and fought too much to allow the forces of religious oppression to once again make the day into night. for everyone who believes that they are right there is another who believes that they are wrong.
the gift of america is the right to believe without the heavy hand of the state looking in the window.
there is no consensus that overrides these rights of every american.
do not presume that your beliefs are mine sir, as Adams and Jefferson would no doubt have said, and we will do just fine.
You're absolutely right, Anonymous. We can't let those who would oppress our religious freedom to turn day into night.
That is why we must hold fast to our Christian heritage. It produced a nation where different beliefs could live in harmony, and produced the most successful nation on earth.
We would be foolish to turn aside from what has worked so well, in exchange for what we have proof around the world only brings oppression, suffering and death.
once again you miss the point. and therefore i do not trust you to respect my rights. you seem to believe that my rights are the one's that you agree to. that is a foul canard. Even Burke would not stand by your side on this.
and no, this nation was not founded solely on Christianity. It's ideology is a mixture of the revolution of 1688, certain types of western Protestant theology and ...a lot of rationalist Enlightenment discourse. It is the latter that so many Christians seem to so conveniently drop off the table.
what has served us so well, despite our sorry history of beating up on those that were the "wrong sort" is that we are willing to accept the rights of everyone to sit at the table as they came to the table. this is the promise of america and it is time for you to do the same.
Your rights are your own, endowed by your Creator, and are not subject to my agreement.
Christianity is not the sole foundation of our nation; if it were, we would probably have something resembling theocracy. Christian philosophy did, however, have a profound influence on the formation of this nation and its government.
Christianity is a rational worldview and there are some points within Enlightenment thought where they are compatible. And I can't think of any significant areas where Enlightenment thought influenced the type of nation we became and the type of government we adopted that are incompatible with the basic tenets of Christianity.
One of those tenets recognizes that you can't force someone to "believe" in a Christianity. Even God affords the free will to accept or reject his truth. That recognition was very near the heart of the founders' avoidance of a state religion, even as they recognized that Christianity was the best and most desirable foundation upon which to build a civilization.
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