I received an e-mail a while ago that had several interesting photographs of the Supreme court and proposed several facts about the presence of God and religion in our government. I’ll quote a few of them below. Keep in mind that I need to verify these. If you happen to know of the origin of the quotes, or if you can authenticate the images, please post a comment or send me a note.

As you walk up the steps to the building which houses the U.S. Supreme Court you can see near the top of the building a row of the world’s law givers and each one is facing one in the middle who is facing forward with a full frontal view . it is Moses and he is holding the Ten Commandments!

As you enter the Supreme Court courtroom, the two huge oak doors have the Ten Commandments engraved on each lower portion of each door.

This next quote from James Madison does appear on many sites on the internet, although none of them look very authoritative. I think some research to validate this would be in order before using it extensively. Can anyone tell me where this quote originated? Was it in an official speech or something less formal?

“We have staked the whole of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.”

With similar caution, Patrick Henry is purported to have said:

“It cannot be emphasized  too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by  religionists but by Christians, not on religions but on the Gospel of  Jesus Christ”

How far we seem to be today from the Christian roots that bolstered us as a young nation.  It ought to be of concern to every American to explore and remember these things and to reflect on how they created a strong America.

Today is “Super Tuesday”. The media is out in force to hype the primary and caucus events that will be held today. As they say, it represents a record number of states ever to concurrently hold primary elections. To support their claims, record numbers of voters have registered throughout the country.

As I observe the primary election and nominating process this year, I’m a bit disappointed in the way it has evolved over time. In particular I’m referring to the two party system that emerged early on in American politics. The current nomination and election process likely prevents many qualified and desirable candidates from ever competing nationally due to a lack of affiliation and favor with insiders in either of the two main parties. This lack of affiliation may be just what America needs to check the political process and ensure that career politions really do have the best interests of the American people at heart. George Washington mentioned his concerns with the emergence of a party system in his farewell address.

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I’ve just finished posting articles and comments from a volume of One Nation Under God published in October 2004. Our nation was quite polarized during that year’s general election with regard to the topic of Gay Marriage. To the best of my knowledge, all of the constitutional amendments proposed during that election passed, with some carrying a heavy majority. Even so, there are tender feelings among those for and against the proposition of Gay Marriage and it is important to always be sensitive. Such decisions should never be grounds for harassment.

With the November 2008 elections only several months away, similarly sensitive and challenging topics are being discussed around our great country. Perhaps the most closely tied to religion is the discussion of whether or not to stay in Iraq, and whether our initial occupation was justified. Send in your comments on this important topic.

This letter was published with Volume 3 (October 2004), which can be downloaded here.

Dear Reader,

This election year brings with it some very important issues. Voters from 11 states including Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Michigan, Ohio, North Dakota, Montana, Oregon, Oklahoma and Utah will decide on the issue of whether to allow same gender unions or to ban them altogether. Each citizen has the right and responsibility to vote on these issues.

This volume of One Nation Under God has the purpose of reminding Americans of the rich heritage of God and the influence of morality in our nation. The words of our Founding Fathers and other influential voices throughout American history remind us that we do have a moral foundation. This moral foundation can steady us in times of uncertainty. As we remember the past, we are better prepared to make decisions about our future. We encourage all citizens to register to vote and participate in the 2004 general elections.

Subscription to One Nation Under God is provided as a free service. For information about reproduction or to subscribe to the journal please visit www.onugjournal.org.

Daniel Watrous
Publisher

This article, written by my wife Rachel, is from Volume 3 (October 2004), which can be downloaded here.

It is important to vote. My vote matters, and your vote matters. In 1873, Susan B. Anthony, fighting for women’s rights, cited the preamble to the Federal Constitution beginning with “We, the people,” and said:

“It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union. And we formed it, not to give the blessings of liberty, but to secure them; not to the half of ourselves and the half of our posterity, but to the whole people - women as well as men. And it is a downright mockery to talk to women of their enjoyment of the blessings of liberty while they are denied the use of the only means of securing them provided by this democratic-republican government - the ballot. ”

Today, no woman is denied the right to the vote, but any person who does not go to the polls on November 2, forfeits the opportunity to participate in our national dialogue. “We, the people” includes me and you and every citizen of the United States. Every voice is important. Each vote is a tool in forming the union of the United States of America as it is today.

As I anticipate Election Day, I feel excited to exercise my right to vote, to participate in the national dialogue, to prove my resolve to defend my position on today’s issues. As you and I and every citizen of this country meet at the polls on November 2, we can again say that “We, the people” will work to form a more perfect union!