Christianity’s Role in America Part 3: True to the Foundation

It’s Sunday and it’s time for Lance’s Weekly Walk!  Today we conclude our series on “Christianity’s Role in America”. But before we do that, I’ve got a couple of quick announcements to make.  I’ve gotten more involved with my Twitter account lately.  I’ve gotten over 1250 followers in just over two weeks.  It’s been a pleasure meeting so many of you.  If you haven’t yet, be sure to follow me at:  www.twitter.com/lancejponline.  My Facebook page is also getting more attention as several of you have liked me there.  You can find it at:  www.facebook.com/lancepisowicz.  Also a reminder for you to check out Lance Pisowicz Online (www.wix.comlancejp/online).  From there you can access my Facebook and Twitter page, my Youtube channel, and everything to do with my blogs.  You can also fill out a prayer request there by clicking on the “Media” tab at the top of your page.  I hope you enjoy Lance’s Weekly Walk and everything there for you at Lance Pisowicz Online.

As I just said we are completing our series on “Christianity’s Role in America” with our third installment regarding where Christianity is in our nation today.

Last week we established the fact that our nation continued to on a path supported by godly men in women, both those in power and those from more humble backgrounds.  So, the final question remains, what does Christianity mean to America today?

To begin, we will jump back about 30 years to the presidency of Ronald Reagan.  “The Great Communicator” was one of the greatest American presidents of all time, thanks to not only his personality but also the way he performed his job.

Regan once said, “Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.”

I completely agree with that statement.  The Bible covers everything from how one should try his parents, wife, and children to how to be a good steward of His money to how one should respect authority as long as it does not directly conflict with His law.

Reagan also believed that Creationism should be taught in public schools along with Evolution, so as to present both views in a fair manner.  He understood that Evolution was based on beliefs, just like Christianity.  It was simply believed by those who claimed to “know more”.  Here’s one of his quotes about the prospect of teaching creationism:

“(Evolution) has in recent years been challenged in the world of science and is not yet believed in the scientific community to be as infallible as it once was believed.  But if it was going to be taught in the schools, then I think that also the biblical theory of creation, which is not a theory but the biblical story of creation, should also be taught.” - Ronald Reagan

I agree with President Reagan (who was a Presbyterian).  As a born-again Christian, I do not see the Bible as a theory but as the truth.

Although there are larger numbers of people in the United States who believe in other gods or no gods at all, America’s foundation is still on Christian principles.  Aside from the statistics that shows 78% of Americans identify themselves as Christians, there are certain individuals who publicly live out their faith.  Take NFL quarterback Tim Tebow for example.  Here’s a short video regarding the New York Jets’ quarterback’s faith.

Tim Tebow has been a great role model for millions of football fans during his days in college and now in the National Football League.  There have also been men in politics since Ronald Reagan who have been a shining light for Christ in their jobs.

One of those men is Mike Huckabee, a former pastor, Governor of Arkansas, and presidential candidate.  He currently hosts a weekend show on Fox News.  Although he has been criticized for his Evangelical and Conservative values, and the idea of “Doing the Right Thing” (actually a title for one of the books he has written), Huckabee is a shining example of what an American leader should be.  Here’s what Huckabee has to say about America’s foundation.

“When our founding fathers put their signatures on the Declaration of Independence, those 56 brave people, most of whom by the way were clergymen, they said that we had certain inalienable rights given to us by our Creator.” - Mike Huckabee

One of those fifty-six men was my seventh-great grandfather, Abraham Clark who was a deeply committed Christian himself.  He was a delegate from New Jersey who had two sons serve in the Continental Army.  One of the sons, Captain Clark was imprisoned on a British ship and received his only food and water through a key hole in the door to the room where he was being held.  Eventually his son was released, but this is just an example of the many sacrifices he, the other 55 signers of the Declaration of Independence, and all of the colonists made during this time.

Now we come to the present.  229 years after the revolution ended, Abraham Clark’s seventh great-grandson is here, talking about the same principles he did.  Many things have changed during those two hundred plus years but one thing has not and that is America’s foundation.

I feel it is my duty to continue the fight for a stronger nation, a freer society, and a brighter future of the Americans of tomorrow.  I still believe in simple government, the rights of the people, and a just God who provides for His people.  I hope you’ll join me in this fight, as we look to stay true to our nation’s beginnings.

It was the cause another one of my ancestors, my sixth great-grandfather, Henry Miller believed in though he suffered through a cold winter at Valley Forge in order to achieve it.  Little did he know that his story would inspire us all more than two hundred years later.

I conclude with two final quotes from the men we have talked about today.

“Our freedom is tied to our individual souls, a gift from God, not from government.” - Mike Huckabee

“We are never defeated unless we give up on God.” - Ronald Reagan

Thank you for joining me again today.  I hope you have enjoyed your time here, and I invite you to join me on Lance Pisowicz Online (www.wix.com/lancejp/online).  Also be sure to go to our online form if you wish to share your thoughts on this show or What’s Wrong With Washington” (www.lponline.wufoo.com/forms/z7x3k7/).  Be sure to join me later on this week for “What’s Wrong With Washington” and next Sunday as we cover an all-new topic to be announced.  Thanks again. God bless you and have a great week!

Christianity’s Role in America Part 2: Surviving and Thriving

Happy Sunday and welcome to Lance’s Weekly Walk! Today we will jump right on into Part 2 of our “Christianity’s Role In America” series, but I’ve got a couple of quick announcements to make. I’ve gotten more involved with my Twitter account lately. Over 650 followers in just over a week. It’s been a pleasure meeting so many of you. If you haven’t yet, be sure to follow me at: www.twitter.com/lancejponline. My Facebook page is also getting more attention with my new custom address: www.facebook.com/lancepisowicz. Also, a reminder to check out Lance Pisowicz Online (www.wix.comlancejp/online). From there you can access my Facebook and Twitter page, my Youtube channel, and everything to do with my blogs. You can also fill out a prayer request there by clicking on the “Media” tab at the top of your page. I hope you enjoy Lance’s Weekly Walk and everything there for you at Lance Pisowicz Online.

As I just said we are continuing our series on “Christianity’s Role in America” with our second installment regarding how faith in God survived and thrived throughout the 19th and 20th century.

Last week we established the fact that our nation was founded by godly men with godly principles, but the question remains: How long did it take for Christianity to become distilled in America, or did it become distilled at all?

Let’s take a brief look back in our nation’s history. If you’ve studied American history you are aware of the term “Great Awakening.” The Great Awakening was a revival of Christian faith that swept the entire nation. In fact there were two of them, the first one occurring in the 1730s and 1740s, and the second beginning in the early 1800s and lasting well into the second half of that century. So what was the impact of these revivals? Were they truly morally changing or were they just acts?

Well there is sufficient evidence to say that both Great Awakenings were legitimate successes. Preachers like George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards used their God given abilities to impact the lives of many Americans. A significantly large percentage of the population experienced the effects of the First Great Awakening and began going to church again as a result. Even though church does not provide salvation in itself, it opened the door for thousands of people to come back to Christ.

But since I have set aside today to discuss the 19th and 20th centuries, we will focus on the Second Great Awakening. Many historians would argue that this revival had even more of an impact on American society for several reasons.

To begin with, its duration was more than a ten to twenty year period. In fact, some experts would say it lasted as many as seventy years. For many it brought about a better opinion of women, inspired a more family-based household, and it moved many abolitionists to seek an end to the injustice of slavery. The Second Great Awakening truly brought about a great revival for our nation. But the story does not stop there.

No, our nation was far from being through with the Christian faith. Even in the Guilded Age and the years preceding World War I, America, millions of her people, and many of her leaders were still trusting in God. The solutions to societal problems that previous generations had brought but had not enacted, moved some of the nation’s most powerful men and women to take action. Here’s the ending of a 1912 campaign speech by President Theodore Roosevelt.

Whether this was just a promotional maneuver or a genuine statement by Teddy Roosevelt may never be known. To me, “TR” was a pretty sincere guy, so I guess we need to take that statement to heart. Armageddon may not have come in his time, but I am confident that the end times are in our time.

If that were not enough to proven America’s still earnest devotion to God, then the adding of these lines to the Pledge of Allegiance in the 1950s by President Eisenhower truly do:

“One nation, under God.” - United States Pledge of Allegiance

The addition of these lines stemmed from an effort to ward off the possibility of an atheist-communist state, such as the Soviet Union.

Our idea of freedom comes from God. He gave us the free will to choose to submit to sin or to follow Him and be saved by His mercy and grace. The United States did not want to become like the Soviet Union for that very reason. We wanted to preserve freedom.

That is why Christianity has been the backbone of American ideals since the start. It has been present in every generation and every situation.

Next week we will conclude our series on “Christianity’s Role in America” with our Third Part regarding where Christianity is in America today. I hope you’ll join me for that.

That is all the time we have for today. Thank you for joining me again today. I hope you have enjoyed your time here, and I invite you to join me on Lance Pisowicz Online (www.wix.com/lancejp/online). Also be sure to go to our online form if you wish to share your thoughts on this show or What’s Wrong With Washington” (www.lponline.wufoo.com/forms/z7x3k7/). Be sure to join me later on this week for “What’s Wrong With Washington” and next Sunday as we continue with third part of this new series. Thanks again. God bless you all and enjoy the rest of your day!

Christianity’s Role in America Part 1: The Founders’ Faith

Welcome back to Lance’s Weekly Walk! I’ve missed you guys these past four months. It seems like Christmas came, and the rest of the holiday season went by so quick with non-stop activity. After that I had finals at school and the early part of my second semester of school often would keep me busy with homework from the time I got home until just before I went to bed. Oh well, I guess all this hard work is good preparation for my future. My family and I went on a wonderful vacation to the Big Island of Hawaii over Spring Break, and I came home refreshed and with a new resolve to get back to what I loved to do: my blogs. Sometimes it will be difficult, and I may not always be able to post both a written blog and a video, but I have made a commitment to post something worthwhile at least once a week. I’ve also gotten more involved with my Twitter account lately. Be sure to follow me at: www.twitter.com/lancejponline. Also, a reminder to check out Lance Pisowicz Online (www.wix.comlancejp/online). From there you can access my Facebook and Twitter page, my Youtube channel, and everything to do with my blogs. You can also fill out a prayer request there by clicking on the “Media” tab at the top of your page. I hope you enjoy Lance’s Weekly Walk and everything there for you at Lance Pisowicz Online.

Today there I will begin a new series with the focus on a topic that I think is at heart for many of us. What does being a Christian and being an American have in common? Are the two intertwined or are they entirely different entities? This will be a three part series that I will present on Sunday for the next three weeks. I hope you enjoy it.

As many of you are aware, I am a very involved Conservative both morally and fiscally, yet I am a deeply committed Christian, with Jesus Christ at the center of my life. Now many Americans today would suggest that Christianity has no place in our government. “America is and always has been a secular nation,” they say. So let’s begin with my first question, was America founded on godly principles?

Well to answer that I thought I would share a few statistics with you. As we all know, Plymouth Colony (one of America’s first English colonies) was undertaking by the Pilgrims, very devout Christians. The Mayflower Compact, one of the key documents to influence the Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution was signed by two of my 12th great-grandfathers, Thomas Rogers and John Goodman. Now here I am, 392 years later, still believing in God and fighting to protect our greatest inheritance from them, a land of liberty where we can worship Jesus Christ and follow our dreams freely.

Now let’s move to the early years of the United States of America itself. Over 95 percent of the nation was Protestant at the time of the first United States Census in 1790. Nearly all of the other 5 percent was Roman-Catholic, so to say America was never a Christian nation is absolutely preposterous to begin with. Nearly all of America was Christian by religion if nothing else.

Let’s back that up a minute. I will concede this: just because you are religious does not mean you are a true Christian. However, there is proof that our nation was founded by men who actually had a deep relationship in Jesus Christ.

Here’s a few quotes by our founding fathers:

“…To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian." - George Washington

“God who gave us life gave us liberty.” - Thomas Jefferson

“I believe in one God, the Creator of the Universe. That He governs it by His Providence. That He ought to be worshipped.” - Benjamin Franklin

According to the video I am about to show you, agnostics and atheists try to claim that these were secular men. Even if they were the least religious of the founding fathers, there is no doubt that they were devout in their faith. These men simply believed in freedom of religion for all, even if they did not agree with others’ beliefs. Here’s a clip from Glenn Beck of Fox News about it.

So now that we proven that America was established by Christians, our next step will be to take a look at whether this trend continued with American history. Next week we will take a look at Christianity in America in the 19th and 20th century as we continue my new series on Christianity’s role in America.

That is all the time we have for today. Thank you for joining me again today. I hope you have enjoyed your time here, and I invite you to join me on Lance Pisowicz Online (www.wix.com/lancejp/online). Also be sure to go to our online form if you wish to share your thoughts on this show or What’s Wrong With Washington” (www.lponline.wufoo.com/forms/z7x3k7/). Be sure to join me later on this week for “What’s Wrong With Washington” and next Sunday as we continue with my second part of this new series. Thank you again. God bless you and have a great week!