Book Rant: American Gospel

I’m sorry - this is long! I’ve given up on trying to find a quick way to tell you about this book - there's just so much to mention.

So I’m just going to say what I’m thinking – although I doubt doing so would give you an appropriate perspective on this book.

In short – it’s a truly fascinating read about how our Founding Fathers perceived religion and its role in a new country’s culture and government and what they would think of our current debates of prayer in school, gay marriage, posting the 10 Commandments in courtrooms, having a “spiritual” President, etc.

Jon Meacham, the book’s author, presents the concept of a public and private religion. Our public religion is our recognition as a society of a higher power (when we say ‘God Bless America’; when we sing ‘God shed his grace on thee’; ‘In God we trust’ on our currency). Private religion deals with our liberty and freedom to believe in and worship God in any way our conscience dictates . . . so long as our beliefs are not unduly imposed upon the beliefs of others.

When our government mentions God by name, our constitution grants each American the right to define ‘God’ anyway he or she chooses. “The Christian’s mind may summon God the Father, a Jew’s, Yahweh; a Muslim’s, Allah; an atheist’s, no one or no thing.”

Here are some quotes that made me go, “Hmmmm!”

From a letter written by Benjamin Franklin to Yale president Ezra Stiles in 1790, just before his own death, on his doubts of the divinity of Christ.

Pg. 21 - “As to Jesus of Nazareth . . . I think the system of morals and his religion as he left them to us, the best the world ever saw, or is likely to see; but I apprehend it has received various corrupting changes, and I have . . . some doubts as to his divinity; though it is a question I do not dogmatize upon, having never studied it, and think it needless to busy myself with it now, when I expect soon an opportunity of knowing the truth with less trouble.”

On the role the Founding Fathers wanted religion to play in the new America:

Pg. 22 – The Founding Fathers wanted an America where “in churches and homes, anyone could believe and practice what he wished. In the public business of the nation, however, it was important to the founders to speak of God in a way that was unifying, not divisive.”

Pg. 78 – “In declaring the colonies independence from Great Britain, the Founders were making another declaration: that Americans respected the idea of God, understood the universe to be governed by moral and religious forces, and prayed for divine protection against the enemies of this world, but were not interested in establishing yet another earthly government with official ties to a state church.”

Pg. 82 – “It would be as unsound to ban the use of the word ‘God’ from all areas of public life as it would be to require every American to attend church services every Sunday.”

Pg. 112 – Andrew Jackson wrote, “I do not believe that any who shall be so fortunate as to be received to heaven through the atonement of our blessed Savior will be asked whether they belonged to the Presbyterians, the Methodists, the Episcopalians, the Baptists, or the Roman Catholic faiths. All Christians are brethren. And all true Christians know that they are such because they love one another.”

Pg. 145 – Theodore Roosevelt said, “The real field for rivalry among and between the [religions] comes in the rivalry of the endeavor to see which can render the best service to mankind.”

On why governmental exercise of private religion, prayer in school for example, is unconstitutional:

Pg. 187 – “Why should the majority be so severely penalized by the protest of a handful? Because that is what America does: within reason, it is dedicated to the religious idea that we are all created equal and are entitled, by the laws of God, not just of men, to protection from pressures of the majority.”

Pg. 243 – “Why, some Christians ask, must the majority be silenced or made to feel as though their beliefs and customs [such as nativity scenes] are to go unremarked or uncelebrated simply because a minority – and probably a tiny minority at that – believe something different? One religious reply is that a true Christian ought to be more interested in making the life of the world gentle for others than should be in asserting the dominance of his own faith.”

On why we are not, never were, and - as long as we submit to the authorities and liberties granted by our Constitution – never will be a ‘Christian’ nation.

Pg. 233 – “There is no doubt, as we have seen, that the Founders lived in a consciously bequeathed culture shaped and sustained by public religion, one that was not Christian or Jewish or Muslim or Buddhist but was simply transcendent, with reverence for the ‘Creator’ and for ‘Nature’s God.”

Pg. 245 – George Washington said, “The bosom of American is to be open to receive . . . the oppressed and persecuted of all nations and religions; whom we shall welcome to a participation of all our rights and privileges . . . They may be Mohometans [or Muslim], Jews or Christians of any sect, or they may be atheists.”

Here’s my summation: We should not expect our government to implement our beliefs as Christians. I know we would love to have ‘spiritual’ leaders in office. I know we want to start our Friday Night football games with a prayer. I know see many disturbing things in our society. But why should we turn to a man-made system to fix the problems only God can address?

It is our responsibility, not our government’s, to preach to our children what we practice . . . and practice what we preach to our children.

Once again, this is a fascinating read so long as you can remain open-minded!