A Nation under God

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord (Psalm 33:12a).

God deals with men and he deals with nations. He uses individuals and he uses nations to accomplish his will. He judges men and judges nations, as such.

The Bible is replete with references to God’s dealings with nations and to the fact that he holds nations responsible for their actions, be they good or evil.

To work out his purposes God chose Israel as a peculiar people, making that nation the repository of his law, the agency of his prophetic messages, and the human channel through which he sent his Son into the world.

Israel rose and fell, not because of aggression from without, but because she departed from her allegiance to God and followed other gods; not because of her smallness in the family of nations, but because she rejected her Messiah.

History records the rise and fall of nations and reveals that their ultimate destiny is tied in with their reaction to God’s revelation and providence. No nation has ever been so great that it could not succumb to the degenerating forces of moral and spiritual laxity which spring from within.

In many ways no nation has ever been so favored of God as has our own. Founded by men and women to whom God was a reality and who were determined to worship him according to the dictates of their consciences, blessed by geographical location and an overwhelming abundance of material resources, we have in a short span of years become the most powerful nation on earth.

Not for nought has there rested on the institutions of our land a clear acknowledgment of God in our heritage and in our cultural and official life. From these sources of faith and allegiance we find “In God We Trust” on our currency, a Bible in every courtroom, “One nation under God” in our oath of allegiance to the flag, chaplains in our armed services, our Senate and House of Representatives opened with prayer, “And this be our motto ‘In God Is Our Trust’ ” a part of our national anthem.

On every hand we find evidence that the United States has given official recognition of our responsibility to God and our dependence on his love and mercy.

Guaranteeing freedom of conscience in religion, maintaining the separation of church and state so that there shall be no state religion nor any act of Congress dictating either religious belief or acts, the historic concept of complete separation of church and state and of “freedom of religion” at no time envisioned separation of the state from God or freedom from religion as a national policy. History indicates that the opposite was the case.

For years there has been an infinitesimal but vigorous minority which, while living under the privilege and protection of laws based on the fear of God and the rights of man, has sought to eliminate from our corporate and public life any and all references to God and acts of worship in his name. This minority has consisted in large measure of agnostics who have used the cloak of freedom of religion while demanding freedom from religion in all of our official national life.

Because of the history and sources of such opposition it came as a distinct shock to the church and even the secular press when a special committee on church and state reported to the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church, meeting in Denver in May of this year, recommending what practically means the complete secularization of the state.

This report recommended the elimination of prayers and any religious observances in our public schools and from all public functions, we presume.

“Religious displays” would no longer be permitted on public property so that Christian pageant scenes would be illegal in schools, or on courthouse lawns.

Voters should not consider the Christian character, or lack of it, of a candidate for office, only his “ability and fitness,” when determining for whom to vote.

Divorce by the state would be on human, not spiritual grounds. “Human failure” and “a marriage so broken as to no longer be socially desirable” would be the grounds of separation.

Basic to the philosophy of this report is the concept that the church, as such, is the conscience of the state and that to it is committed the task of advising and remonstrating with the state on secular as well as moral issues.

This report was not adopted by the General Assembly but was referred to a larger committee for further study and report next year. But, within and without church circles, it has caused dismay as well as strong opposition. For the first time there has been recommended to a large denomination a program which would completely secularize the state and divorce it from any and all official recognition or worship of God.

Carried to its logical conclusion “In God We Trust” would have to be removed from our currency, “One nation under God” from our oath of allegiance, the Bibles from our courtrooms, recognition of God from our national anthem, and chaplains from our armed services. It would be illegal to open any public function with prayer, illegal to have prayer or Bible reading in public schools or scenes depicting historical religious events on public property.

Then, on June 25 the Supreme Court declared it illegal for this prayer to be used in the public schools of the state of New York: “Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence on Thee, and we beg Thy blessing upon us, our parents, our teachers and our country.”

If the basic principle adopted in the Court’s decision is carried to its logical end, we will be faced with a series of suits designed to eliminate from our national life every vestige of recognition of Almighty God, and the strong probability that such suits will win Court approval.

The evidences of moral and spiritual decay are seen in every area of our national life. Are these to be crowned by the official rejection of God? Is our Christian heritage to be legislated away under the guise of freedom? Shall our official life replace the God of our fathers with the agnostic’s contention that there is no God?

The Psalmist speaks clearly to us today: “Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him” (Psalm 2:10–12).

Nations have rejected God before this. By official action Communism denies him today. But, all nations shall stand in judgment before him who is King of kings, and Lord of lords. All nations which take counsel against him stand in peril of divine derision: “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure” (Psalm 2:4, 5).

Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here.