Article #7: The Understanding of U.S.A. Christian Foundings
This is the subject of the founding fathers of the United States of America and the Christian belief they held, that would shape this country. This is American Christian Exceptionalism, the story of a Christian country.
American Exceptionalism
“American exceptionalism” is a term used to describe the belief that the United States is an extraordinary nation with a special role to play in human history; a nation that is not only unique but also superior. Alexis de Tocqueville was the first to use the term “exceptional” to describe the United States and the American people in his classic work Democracy in America (1835–1840), but the idea of America as an exceptional entity can be traced back to the earliest colonial times. Jack P. Greene’s analysis of a wealth of contemporary materials has established that by “the beginning of the nineteenth century the idea of America as an exceptional entity had long been an integral component in the identification of America.” Many scholars of the belief in American exceptionalism argue that it forms one of the core elements of American national identity and American nationalism.” But I would also say that it is a dying way of think, the Republican Party has recently tried to revive it by campaigning that they believed American Exceptionalism. But honestly I don’t believe this way of think will last another 20-30 year, if we are extremely luck. It could literally die out in the next 5 to 10 years. I say this because for the past 60 years this way of thinking has slowly been dying, to the point that this newer generations doesn’t see America as “exceptional.”
American Christian Exceptionalism
If you actually know what American Christian Exceptionalism means then you’re not doing half bad, if you’re not a Christian that is. American Christian Exceptionalism is actually where American Exceptionalism comes from. Alexis de Tocqueville, the man considered to have started it (as stated above) also wrote that this Land was “the Holy Land.” (Counting on how you translated it from French to English it could also mean the “God’s blessed land,” which can change his statement quite a bit.) But most people don’t know that; for over the past 50 or so years the church has been pushed out of schools; to the point that they are limiting the very history of our country. But American Christian Exceptionalism is so much more than just thinking we are blessed, it the actual knowledge that our country was founded by Christian men.
Good Old Ben! Oh and the rest of those guys.
On July 28th 1787 Benjamin Franklin, a man considered to today as the least religious man of any of our founders, stood up after being pushed to his limit for four week and address the President of the convention (later our countries first president) George Washington. In short he stated that they were getting nothing done and obliviously needed wisdom from a greater power. He asked George Washington if he could lead the group in a prayer. The prayer stated “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.” That wasn’t the strongest prayer I’ve ever heard and to be honest doesn’t make a lot of since, not even in the context of the entire address doe’s it. There are other versions of this prayer that are really amazing, but you can never find out who wrote it down. While this version was written by James Madison, who was at the time “acting scribe.” Benjamin Franklin led this prayer, a man who did not attend church, who was truly the “playboy” of his time. WHY DID HE DO THAT!?!? It’s simple, while Ben did not go to church and was very much in the world he still believed in God and that he was saved by Jesus Christ love. (If you don’t believe this statement read the ORIGINAL version of the “Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin,” you will learn just how “unreligious” he was, especially as he started to revive his faith in his last years.) And more than that he knew the people in the room very well, he knew they would respond to it, even if it was just a little prayer that made no since as his was. But why would this group respond to this when the world says this group was a bunch of atheist??? Well they weren’t. I know, I know it’s a shock to us all. But believe it or not 29 out of the 56 signers had degrees in seminary. Now here is the thing the world likes to point out that a seminary degree back then could have meant a lot of types of degrees. Which then I like to point out that of those 29 there were 25 that actually had been ordained. So if you’re going to try and argue that one, don’t because you will lose.
The Myth of the Three Days of Prayer
After Ben had finished he went on to say this: “I therefore beg leave to move-that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of this City be requested to officiate in that Service.” Ok so once again Benjamin Franklin, the founder that was against God, is asking for daily prayer? Ok well……. yeah. After wards he was second by “MR. SHARMAN” (It was actually Roger Sherman, there was no Sharman, Madison wasn’t perfect) who was a lawyer, and has a very interesting Christian story. After this, it was easily accepted by the entire group. And that when the “Myth starts,” it is believed that afterwards they requested to do three days of pray after the next July 4th came around. Nothing more in Madison’s notes show if it is accepted or not. What we do know is that there is newspapers talking about, and it soon became an unofficial national holiday for that year. This “Myth has become one of the most widely debated subjects for the Constitutional Convention. I honestly don’t know why that is! This is LITERALLY from a direct copy of James Madison’s notes and from newspapers written from the time, which you can easily find online. Honestly I don’t get why this is even considered a debate among the historians today! So yeaaaaah!
Ending Note
After some of the longest debates of the Constitution Convention of how the Government should be formed, James Madison addressed the convention, stating, in short (sorry his speech was like a mile long), that the United States should be a centralized government with three branches. He finished his speech with Isaiah 33:22 where he stated he had found this perfect model of government: “For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; He will save us.” That’s right! The basic form of our Government was based and supported by a VERSE FROM THE BIBLE! This nation was not founded on a bunch of atheist, it was founded on biblical doctrine and prayer, and a lot of people will disagree with that statement, but they are blind. And the sad part of it is that many who disagree with that statement are the ones leading this country now. It’s the blind leading the blind and if we continue this, sooner or later we’re going to fall off a cliff.
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