Michael J. Gaynor: America's Declaration, Religion and Obama

Presumptive 2008 Democrat presidential candidate Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. knows that very well and so he is campaigning accordingly and working assiduously to carry Ohio, also known as "God's Country."

Obama's chance of succeeding depends upon how much of the whole truth about him voters eventually end up learning before Election Day 2008.

Like the Wizard of Oz, Obama wants people NOT to look behind the curtain.

But the voters need to do exactly that with all candidates, of that I'm certain.

The son of atheists, Obama eventually chose to join the black liberation theology church of Rev. Jeremiah A. "God damn America" Wright, Jr. and stayed a member until Rev. Wright came to be generally known as a nutcase AND then publicly called Obama "a politician."

Compare Obama's first speech to the effect that he could no more disown Rev. Wright than the Black community or his own white grandmother with his subsequent speech disowning Rev. Wright.

Should a man who allowed his young children to hear Rev. Wright's sermons regularly be trusted with the Presidency?

Should a man who denied Fourteenth Amendment protection to babies born alive as a result of botched abortions be trusted with the Presidency?

Should the preferred candidate of failed Democrat presidential hopefuls Ted Kennedy and John Kerry be trusted with the Presidency?

Should a man with no military experience, no executive experience and less than one term as a United States Senator be trusted with the Presidency?

Should a man who would condition participation in the faith-based initiative during his presidency on sacrifice of the right to prefer persons who accept the tenets of a particular faith (so much for government avoiding entanglement in internal religious matters!) be entrusted with the Presidency?

Should a man who panders to the so-called "same-sex marriage" crowd be entrusted with the Presidency?

Of course not.

July 4th should have called to mind that America separated from Britain, not God and God's Commandments.

America's Declaration of Independence began:

"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 opinions 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, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness...."

"The Declaration concluded:

"We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. � And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."

Secular extremists might have you believe otherwise, but the Declaration of Independence separated the thirteen colonies from the British Crown, not the colonists from God.

A fair-minded reading of the Declaration establishes beyond dispute that the Declarants put their faith in God (variously identified as "Nature's God," "the Creator" and "the Supreme Judge of the world") and certainly did not intend separation from God.

No such separation was intended when either the Articles of Confederation or the Constitution and the Bill of Rights were written and adopted either.

It is not an accident that both the Articles and the Constitution were dated "in the Year of our Lord."

"[O]ur Lord" referred to Jesus Christ, obviously.

The First Amendment was intended to prevent the establishment of a national church and to protect the free exercise of religion, not to mandate governmental neutrality between religion and irreligion, regardless of the wishes of secular extremists, and make agnosticism or atheism the national religion.

When the United States Supreme Court suddenly declared in 1947, in Everson v. Board of Education, that "[t]he 'establishment of religion' clause of the First Amendment means at least this: Neither a state nor the Federal Government can.... pass laws which...aid all religions...," it was egregiously wrong.

Neither the Founders nor the states expected or desired the United States Supreme Court to try to erect "a wall of separation" between government and God and every one of the fifty states has acknowledged God (identified in the People's Republic of Vermont as "the Author of Existence").

Alabama 1901, Preamble "We the people of the State of Alabama, invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following Constitution...."

Alaska 1956, Preamble "We, the people of Alaska, grateful to God and to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land...."

Arizona 1911, Preamble "We, the people of the State of Arizona, grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution...."

Arkansas 1874, Preamble "We, the people of the State of Arkansas, grateful to Almighty God for the privilege of choosing our own form of government...."

California 1879, Preamble "We, the People of the State of California, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom...."

Colorado 1876, Preamble "We, the people of Colorado, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of Universe...."

Connecticut 1818, Preamble "The People of Connecticut, acknowledging with gratitude the good Providence of God in permitting them to enjoy...."

Delaware 1897, Preamble "Through Divine Goodness all men have, by nature, the rights of worshipping and serving their Creator according to the dictates of their consciences...."

Florida 1885, Preamble "We, the people of the State of Florida, grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty, establish this Constitution...."

Georgia 1777, Preamble "We, the people of Georgia, relying upon protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution...."

Hawaii 1959, Preamble "We, the people of Hawaii, Grateful for Divine Guidance...Establish this Constitution...."

Idaho 1889, Preamble "We, the people of the State of Idaho, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings...."

Illinois 1870, Preamble "We, the people of the State of Illinois, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors...."

Indiana 1851, Preamble "We, the People of the State of Indiana, grateful to Almighty God for the free exercise of the right to choose our form of government...."

Iowa 1857, Preamble "We, the People of the State of Iowa, grateful to the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him for a continuation of these blessings, establish this Constitution...."

Kansas 1859, Preamble "We, the people of Kansas, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious privileges establish this Constitution...."

Kentucky 1891, Preamble. "We, the people of the Commonwealth are grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties...."

Louisiana 1921, Preamble "We, the people of the State of Louisiana, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy...."

Maine 1820, Preamble "We the People of Maine acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe in affording us an opportunity....And imploring His aid and direction...."

Maryland 1776, Preamble "We, the people of the state of Maryland, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty...."

Masssachusetts 1780, Preamble "We...the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging with grateful hearts, the goodness of the Great Legislator of the Universe In the course of His Providence, an opportunity and devoutly imploring His direction...."

Michigan 1908, Preamble "We, the people of the State of Michigan, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom establish this Constitution...."

Minnesota, 1857, Preamble "We, the people of the State of Minnesota, grateful to God for our civil and religious liberty, and desiring to perpetuate its blessings...."

Mississippi 1890, Preamble "We, the people of Mississippi in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking His blessing on our work...."

Missouri 1845, Preamble "We, the people of Missouri, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and grateful for His goodness...Establish this Constitution...."

Montana 1889, Preamble. "We, the people of Montana, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty establish this Constitution...."

Nebraska 1875, Preamble "We, the people, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, establish this Constitution...."

Nevada 1864, Preamble "We the people of the State of Nevada, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, establish this Constitution...."

New Hampshire 1792, Part I. Art. I. Sec. V "Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience."

New Jersey 1844, Preamble "We, the people of the State of New Jersey, grateful to Almighty God for civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors...."

New Mexico 1911, Preamble "We, the People of New Mexico, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty...."

New York 1846, Preamble "We, the people of the State of New York, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings...."

North Carolina 1868, Preamble "We the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for our civil, political, and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those...."

North Dakota 1889, Preamble "We , the people of North Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, do ordain...."

Ohio 1852, Preamble "We the people of the state of Ohio, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and to promote our common...."

Oklahoma 1907, Preamble "Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in order to secure and perpetuate the blessings of liberty, establish this...."

Oregon 1857, Bill of Rights, Article I Section 2. "All men shall be secure in the Natural right, to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their consciences."

Pennsylvania 1776, Preamble "We, the people of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance...."

Rhode Island 1842, Preamble. "We the People of the State of Rhode Island grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing...."

South Carolina, 1778, Preamble "We, the people of the State of South Carolina grateful to God for our liberties, do ordain and establish this Constitution...."

South Dakota 1889, Preamble "We, the people of South Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberties...."

Tennessee 1796, Art. XI. III. "That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their conscience...."

Texas 1845, Preamble "We the People of the Republic of Texas, acknowledging, with gratitude, the grace and beneficence of God...."

Utah 1896, Preamble "Grateful to Almighty God for life and liberty, we establish this Constitution...."

Vermont 1777, Preamble "Whereas all government ought to enable the individuals who compose it to enjoy their natural rights, and other blessings which the Author of Existence has bestowed on man...."

Virginia 1776, Bill of Rights, XVI "Religion, or the Duty which we owe our Creator can be directed only by Reason and...it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian Forbearance, Love and Charity towards each other...."

Washington 1889, Preamble "We the People of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution...."

West Virginia 1872, Preamble "Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people of West Virginia reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance upon God...."

Wisconsin 1848, Preamble "We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom...."

Wyoming 1890, Preamble "We, the people of the State of Wyoming, grateful to God for our civil, political, and religious liberties, establish this Constitution...."

God bless America!

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