God and the American Vision

Christianity has been the greatest influence in building the American concept of democracy. Both Christianity and democracy begin with the individual, and they stress the infinite worth of individual man.

Without Christian laymen who applied their religious philosophy to governmental decisions, there would have been no American Declaration of Independence or Constitution of the United States as we know them today. Without the application of moral and religious concepts in the laws of our land, we would be no better off than other countries of the world today.

We believe in separation of Church and State in this land, but never have we believed in separation of Church and statesmen. As Christian laymen in the early days of this country worked not only for their churches and their God, but also for application of moral and religious principles in the political and governmental decisions of the nation, so must we carry on that same important responsibility. This is especially true in this day of materialism and science when so many people are losing sight of important spiritual considerations and opportunities.

Someone has said that in our day we have learned to fly through the air like the birds of the sky and to glide through the waters like the fish of the sea, but we have not learned to live on this earth like human beings.

Detraction From The Spiritual

And now, before learning to live like brothers on this earth, we have upon us a great rush into outer space—a competitive race of science and material progress in attempt to place and control satellites in outer space.

Man’s attention is being drawn away from the spiritual essentials into the material stratosphere. Satellites are circling the earth once every 96 minutes. This is a fantastic speed for earthbound mortals to comprehend—nearly five miles per second. The Soviet Union has beaten us in the race of physical objects in outer space. There is much excitement in America for a full-scale scientific crusade to assure our country of every possible achievement for progress and adequate defense in the world in which we live.

On the other hand, when people talk about putting all the resources of their country behind a better sputnik in outer space, I cannot help but think of the need for placing more of our resources into a closer contact with the power in outer space which is greater than any man-made ball or ballistic—the power which has dominion over outer and inner space, yea over our very lives and destinies—our God in Heaven.

We are ahead of the Russian communists in that we have contact with God, and unless they are converted from their atheistic beliefs, they will never catch up with us. But this will be true only if we do not fail in our duty to emphasize and thus follow the way of Christianity.

Our destiny does not lie in our drive to be the first to set foot on the moon, or to have a space station for future conquests in our solar system. Our true destiny lies in an understanding of Him who is the power that governs outer space and the destinies of nations and men on this world.

In all this excitement over the satellites, I have heard not one speech concerning the urgent need for our people to expand and develop the philosophy and ideals which truly put us in touch with the God of the universe and assure us of his help. Our forefathers, perhaps, had a stronger grasp of this urgency than we do in this age of materialism and great technological progress. You have been reminded many times of the South American visitor who was asked to explain why the material progress of North America had so far outstripped that of South America. His reply was: “The people who settled North America came here seeking God. Those who came to South America were in search of gold.”

It will do us all good to recall the religious background of the settlers of these United States. Through all American history there runs a golden thread of deep religious conviction. The spirit of religion guided the pilgrims to the New England coast. In framing the Mayflower Compact they started with the words: “In the name of God. Amen.” The illustrious founder of Pennsylvania, William Penn, once said in an address: “If we are not ruled by God, we will be ruled by tyrants.” And the Declaration of Independence makes this statement: “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.” It is significant also that when material considerations were about to fail in the convention called at Philadelphia to write the United States Constitution, the men turned their attentions to the spiritual. Benjamin Franklin suggested humble prayer to God for assistance, and you know the result. The coins of this nation were stamped “In God We Trust.”

These examples should chart the course for us as Americans—and as children of God.

Christianity And Liberty

The Christian faith, when it is fully understood, has always promoted the liberty of the individual and the dignity of mankind. These same principles of Christianity offer us the best course toward the achievement of international understanding and peace. These Christian ideals and the reliance upon the strong hand of God give us also the answer to the spread of Communism.

We in this nation have something the communists do not have, and that is the deep, ingrown faith in a God which enables men to rise above the struggles of the materialistic world and seek the heavens in their true perspective. This is our opponents’ greatest weakness. They are professed materialists and enemies of religion. Karl Marx wrote: “Religion is the sign of the oppressed creature, the feelings of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of unspiritual conditions. It is the opium of the people.” And Lenin, Stalin and Khrushchev took up the Marxist mantle and spread the same false doctrine over the world.

The Communist Surge

Today, Communism rules by force nearly one billion people—a third of the world’s population. Ironically, this surge of Communism compares in history only with the advances of Christianity. Two thousand years ago, when Christ brought his message to earth, he gathered about him 12 men, and from the lips of those men Christianity spread like wildfire throughout the Western world.

Are we to concede that Christianity offers less than Communism, and thereby “write off” the latter’s conquests as philosophical victories which we failed to match? Christians know this is not true. They know that the atheists who preach the communist doctrine are attempting the impossible when they seek to stamp out mankind’s spiritual heritage and replace it with a new set of values based on utility and materialism.

Love of country and love of God are inseparable ingredients. Democracy, a by-product of the teachings of Christ, emphasizes that government should be a servant and not a master. It was Lenin who admitted: “When religion is strong, Communism is weak.” And that is an admission by the communist world that they can hope to succeed only by controlling the minds of men and stamping out all religious beliefs that stand in the way.

It disturbs me that the communists have been preaching to more people in recent years than have the Christians. I regret that some people in this country believe that we should become a material fortress as the best means of fighting Communism. They seem to say there is no time for God in the struggle for armed superiority. But if we yield to this temptation, someday we shall find that we have assumed the likeness of that which threatens us and which will be our own destruction.

We must arm, certainly. We cannot allow ourselves to be engulfed by the dictatorship of the Soviet Union. At the same time, we must never take our eyes away from the God of the universe. Americans believe that the true course is the course that leads to God. The hope of the world lies in men’s willingness to seek this course.

Price Daniel is the Governor of Texas. A Baptist lay leader, he delivered these remarks on November 5, 1957 at the annual State Baptist Brotherhood Convention. Governor Daniel is an alumnus of Baylor University. After a newspaper career he was elected to the Senate. He became Governor of Texas in 1957.

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