More Thoughts about America as a Christian Nation 2005

by John C Van Buskirk of Tully, N. Y. July 19,2005

My previous editorials MY VIEWS , MY BELIEFS 2002, AND MORE MY THOUGHTS 2003 still stand as background to these comments.

My dad had served during the World War I era, was still in training as a flyer when that war ended. He was very strongly behind the war effort. My Mother and Dad both were in the Civilian Auxilliary that served as air plane spotters reporting all aircraft in the skies over Tully so that no enemy aircraft could sneak in under the radar limits to do us harm. They were also among the many church members praying daily and weekly for Divine guidance. We followed the radio accounts of the events of the war, and viewed news reels that led in to feature length Hollywood produced features at Tully Movies.

Nobody doubted that we were the good guys and Hitler, Mussolini and Tojo were the bad guys, who wanted to take over the whole world. Finally we did prevail, the war did end thanks to the new weapon we demonstrated at Hiroshima and Nagasaki It was estimated there would have been 2 years and 1,000,000 more lives lost on our side if Japan had not decided to surrender. Then followed the growing menace from the Communists in The Soviet Union and their captive neighboring small nations they enslaved including North Korea and North Vietnam that were determined to expand their zone of influence to their neighbors. I even served my 2 year stint as a soldier stateside. My discharge date in 1961 was the same day the Berlin Wall was started.

I always followed the news and the history behind it. My Genealogy took me to the>many venues of early American Colonies - half in the Dutch Colonies of New York and Albany, the rest included New England at Boston, Plymouth, Springfield, Mass.Hartford, and New Haven Ct. The Stratford and Stamford Ct. Rye N.Y. corner, Eastern Long Island, N.Y., Most of New Jersey, and Bucks Co Pa. and Central. New York after1800 These included a mix of Dutch Reformed, Lutheran, Anglican, Congregational, Presbyterians and Quakers, and a few Catholics too.. All very religious Christians creating a common society of Christian Roots for the American Continent which eventually declared their Independence. They all looked to God for help and guidance. They came to reject the petty squabbles that divided them in Europe, It took a while, but they finally learned how to live together peacefully. The common view that this was a special nation created by and dedicated to God to permit each group to worship God and Jesus in their own ways would be the hallmark of the new nation. All of the founding fathers were of one mind in this view.

I strenuously object to the current trend that re-writes history to fit Politically Correct” notions The schools must do their part to report the events of history as accurately as possible. Human nature is still the same, people did make mistakes, but learned and corrected them too.his country was really a miraculous creation of God, a new promised land, for a New World.

Through the years the country expanded from sea to sea, Where necessary they fought bravely usually with the sense that God was with them to establish the nation we know and love. The principle of tolerating each others system of beliefs eventually included many Christian sects, always including Judaism, and other religions from Asian Lands including Islam. They also allowed those with agnostic and atheistic views excluding >God to exist side by side with believers. In the past quarter century these last groups have launched a campaign to discredit all Christians and remove God from the centerpiece of our world.

This country built as a favored nation of God, established on the basic morality common to the various religious denominations cannot long survive without his constant blessing.

There has been a constant battle of good and evil in the world for all of recorded history The Bible which underlies Jewish and Christian thought is a treatise on the relationship of God with men, and his patient attempt to persuade a particular family group to follow him and serve as an example of what he wanted of them. Over and over his handpicked family group lost their way, rejected Him, were brought down in hard times, repented and returned to his way. This continued for about 2000 years before the events recorded in The Gospels. The fledgling Church promoted the cause of Jesus Christ, which also was a struggle lasting nearly 2000 years and is not over yet. There have been times when the Church advanced and flourished, then some church leaders lost site of some of their principles, making themselves more important than the Church and God himself. Any >one who tried to point out problems was persecuted, leading to the Reformation and the protestant movements. I believe that in all this the Devil is deliberately stirring up trouble, raising questions that cannot be answered, leading men to doubt what they had learned. These led to the proliferation of the many sects we are still familiar with.

To me the current problems in America 2005 is an extension of these old conflicts. Some seem to want to turn back the clock and return to the conditions in Europe >re-igniting old hatreds that our founding fathers fought so hard to eliminate. I also fear that God could get angry with us as he did his Chosen People of the Bible. We are a similarly endowed chosen nation to advance his cause. He could easily decide that we are straying too far away rejecting Him and his known moral code: The famous Ten Commandments. Those who reject this standard set of rules of morality are also those who wish to break them without feeling guilty. That God will not allow indefinitely. He is still patient. He is still trying to work through his Church and Conservative spokesmen to support the large silent majority that still agrees with his principles to stand up and >be counted. During the 2004 Christmas season, there was hardly a mention that the Birthday of Jesus was the purpose of the celebration. I hope that that in the upcoming observance for 2005 Christians will make an effort to support those who speak up for Christ and refrain from supporting the retail establishments that deliberately forget Him. Perhaps the economic message would do more to wake up the main stream media that we are serious than all of the talking can. The Courts can and have decided against overt displays in “public places. They cannot make us spend money. If we decide to hold back, and not buy, it>may give them the jolt needed to change directions. We do need to pray for a revival that only GOD Himself can give. Perhaps other options are open to us any suggestions welcome!.

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