I recently read an article on Yahoo news about President Obama and how he is handling this Muslim temple near Ground Zero, as well as reading many comments from my fellow Americans voicing their freedom of speech. Well, this is me voicing mine.
(If you have not read any articles regarding this topic or others comments read this link below.)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100814/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_ground_zero_mosque_obama#mwpphu-container
Our country was founded on GOD. “In God we trust”, right? The God that gives us freedom to choose to serve him or not, is same God that our founding fathers believed in. They decided if God did not force us to serve him, then why would they force religion on us. Yet they also decided as an American government to be ONE Nation UNDER GOD! You could choose your path, but they were going to choose the path that they knew in their hearts was best for the people. That was America from day one. People came to America knowing that. If you did not want to believe in God, you didn’t have to… but please respect our Nation and what it was founded on… if you don’t like it, move! Okay, well maybe that is a little harsh? If you don’t like it you don’t have to; that’s your blessed, God given, American provided right. 
We are not forcing anyone to be a certain religion… some of us choose to share a love that we would desire you to know but never force anyone to be a Christian. When a Nation was founded on God we decided, that that is who we are. Our God, the God that blessed our nation, never forced us to love Him, He never brainwashed us to live a certain way… He gave us the choice to receive His love. That is where our founding fathers formulated the idea of “freedom of choice, freedom of religion”. No one was going to force “we the people” to bow down to the God that they decided to build our Nation upon, rather they believed it was the right way of thinking to let us decide; As, so did Christ.
My heart cries out only in love not condemnation, would you not want to know this God who loves you so much that He gives you a choice; he demonstrated that choice by choosing death, so that we may have life eternally by his resurrecting power. Would you not love a country that gives you a choice… would you not respect our Founding Fathers that loved their GOD and COUNTRY so much they gave us that freedom. I personally believe we as Christians are called to voice that and share the love of God to ALL mankind.
This is a sad day to me when I read how the leader of our country, which was founded under GOD, seems to be very heartless. The world is broken… let us love with a hope and faith from the one who blessed this country in the first place! ONE NATION UNDER GOD! IN GOD WE TRUST! LET FREEDOM RING! Let us love all mankind, no mater what they believe. We are to love not hate. It’s sad to know that so many people have to be reminded of the pain on 9-11, it saddens me more to know that our president can’t stand up for the brokenhearted, but would rather make all fair?
Build your temple… just build it somewhere else. Have respect; can you not have love for those who lost their loved ones? This will be a constant reminder of what America lost that day. We are not hating you, nor condemning you. We are just asking that you love the brokenhearted people and extend support, sympathy, and love to those who lost a piece of them that day.
It is my prayer today that you will understand that you have a choice to receive HIS love, understand why our founding fathers chose this God to stand our country on. Find out yourself. Look for the truth. Truly dig deep in the history of why. And remember it’s always been your choice. And every choice has a consequence. My question to you is, can you live with the choice you make? Can I live with myself not shouting His Name from the mountain tops? If you are my Christian friend, will you rise up with me and pray for the brokenhearted, the weary, the lost… let us pray for unity in the land of the free. And If you don’t believe in Jesus, I just want you to know that someday I hope you find His amazing love. I don’t need you to judge me, and if you do it’s okay with me. We have the same right, to believe the way we want; yet I also have a responsibility to the God that I believe; and that’s to share his amazing love to all mankind; to ware His love on my sleeve.
Can I truly live my life knowing that our world is becoming filled with more broken people and not share the true freedom that lies within receiving Jesus as Lord, a reigning king over all the earth. It’s a crazy kinda love :) It’s a great love.
The Beatles state it well, “And when the brokenhearted people living in the world agree, there will be an answer, let it be. For though they may be parted there is still a chance that they will see, there will bean answer, let it be. Jesus said it better, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 …And what is the world? What does the news tell us? What do we see daily; the world is broken… and he tells us to take heart! He has overcome the brokenness”
Can we be the home of the brave? Can we go back to our roots as Americans? What made the U.S.A. anyway? Obviously this will be debated to the ends of the earth but that’s just it… what then… what happens in the end? Will we have said just “let it be” …”let’s all be fair”? Will we look back and see it was easier to agree to disagree? In the end does it even matter?
From the very depths of my heart I am here to tell you that it really does matter. The world will someday end and like I stated before; Are you sure you can live with the consequences of how you now chose to life your life here on earth?
Our true freedom is in a world far greater than science could ever imagine. A world where unity is never tempted by the desires of what man wants but rather with a unity that is beautifully made by a loving God, who calls us His children. A world where war and death will never be. A world where freedom means what it should mean now. Free from condemnation, free from death, free from fear…. Free from abuse and broken homes. Free from depression and oppression. There will be no hunger, no sorrow… no mass destruction or evil men that seek to destroy. We will be unified under an almighty ruler who also calls us His friend. It won’t matter what our selfish desires want anymore… we will be surrounded by the utter most beauty of heaven and all His glory. I wonder what that day will be like?
Someday the world will know what “the land of the free” really means… until that day let us fight for the brokenhearted, let us fight for our fading freedom that so much blood was shed for. Let us remember that freedom came with a cost. Let us not be greedy and think about all the unnecessary selfishness. Let us love. If we were loving in this situation then we would understand the hearts of the hurting and we would never have to have this conversation. Let us remember the love for our country, the love for it’s people, and the love for a penned promise long ago… “One Nation Under God”
~L
I hope you take a few minutes and enjoy these songs that I linked to this post:) 
Muslims have the same God as Christians and Jews.
Why don’t you talk to a Muslim and ask them what their god believes and how he runs his thrown and than pick up the bible read it some, ask some reliable Christians how they believe God’s love works and then come back and tell me if it’s sounds like the same god to you. How does that sound? Fair? :)
I thought about this again…. and I guess if I was only looking for a feeling than sure… but it’s much more than a feeling:) and if you you can imagine it… it must be real:) Just a thought:)
The god of the Muslims is Allah, and I don’t believe he has a son named Jesus Christ, therefore, it is my opinion that Muslims and Christians don’t worship the same god.
Well said, Scott! You always know what to say:)
[The god of the Muslims is Allah, and I don’t believe he has a son named Jesus Christ, therefore, it is my opinion that Muslims and Christians don’t worship the same god.]
Allah is just the Muslim’s name for God, but it’s the same god. Jews don’t believe Christ was God’s son, either, but Christians and Jews worship the same (imaginary) god.
oh, boy. My heart truly breaks right now. Sometimes I wish I could just let someone who doesn’t know what it’s like to experience the presence of my God, be me for just five minuets to feel how real God is. It saddens me to know that you don’t know what that feels like, and I pray that you will understand one day. I rewrote the ending of my post… let me know what you think? Did you watch the videos… I am curious to know what you think? I’m okay with you thinking I’m crazy:)
Have you ever considered that “feeling God” might just be your imagination? It could also be a chemical reaction to something that relaxes you and stimulates the release of endorphins in the brain — much like a “runner’s high” or the feeling we get when we eat chocolate. You could probably get a similar feeling by meditating.
I have thought this many times… Have you ever thought that that God could actually be real? :) You know why I know that God is real… I will tell you:) It’s because his promises( yest there are facts:) have been proven to me many many times. It’s hard to understand until you you surrender the idea of it all being in your brain… I just know, that I know… and it for sure helps that his Word has many promises that have been proven true and has held true over the test of time.
So to answer your question; yes, I have wondered that… but was clearly reminded that my God is very real:) And I have meditated… it helps me ground myself and appreciate all that is around me including God:)
It’s because his promises( yest there are facts:) have been proven to me many many times.
Prayer works about 50% of the time. Kinda almost like chance. Funny how that works.
It’s hard to understand until you you surrender the idea of it all being in your brain… I just know, that I know… and it for sure helps that his Word has many promises that have been proven true and has held true over the test of time.
You mean perhaps surrendering your rationality and believing in magic? It must be nice.
Sometimes I wish I could just let someone who doesn’t know what it’s like to experience the presence of my God, be me for just five minuets to feel how real God is.
If god is omnipotent would we not know about it? I mean really? Creator of the universe and if we don’t believe in his magic book we cannot “know” him? Personally I’d like to “know” Zeus or Ra, as they have just about as much evidence to their existence as the god mentioned in the bible.
Another note… This is the original Pledge of Allegiance from around 1892:
“I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
It was written by Francis Bellamy who was a socialist.
In 1942, the pledge was changed to “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
Notice there is no “under God” in it? The changes were a response to the large number of immigrants coming to America during WWII.
It wasn’t until 1954 that the words “under God” were inserted into the Pledge of Allegiance by an act of Congress.
Ya, I found that out that this morning:) But… our founding fathers did believe in God, and that his son, Jesus Christ. They did build our nation on biblical principles… Do you know when the star spangled banner was written? Have you heard the second verse? Why do you think that so many military men and women believe that that Jesus is real? Do you think perhaps it’s because they are faced with the reality that death could be right around the corner and it makes them “feel good” to “create an imaginary place”; so that they may have peace in there heat? Or do you think that facts just don’t cut it to them when they see a fellow soldier bleeding out before their eyes? Could it be that there is such a thing as “faith” and what does that look like, why do so many of us crazy humans believe in a “higher power” And why do so many not believe in it?
Well… I think once you you’re faced with uncertainty of the unknown and you are face to face with death you begin to wonder if you were right? Faith is invisible, we can not touch it… with out faith it’s impossible to see God. At the end of our life we have to give an account. So what if we screwed up in life, we made many mistakes? Is it all going to come out in the end? I believe it will… but for the Christian who lived in faith and not by site there will be a day when all that will not matter to a God who is full of a love and GRACE. I know this all sounds crazy and non of it is going be sound facts…. but that is just it… it’s not about facts any more? It’s hard to think outside the box when that’s how your mind is used to thinking… I know, trust me! I guess I am so passionate because I was once lost and now am found, and I know that’s not going to make it all better because my God said, “that in this world we WILL have trouble, BUT take heart! I have come to save the world(the brokenness).
(sigh) In my heart I feel like I am wasting the beautiful sunshine at the moment to tell you all this. I want you to know that I rarely do stuff like this… if you read the rest of my blog you will see pain and confusion; but there is a faith that resides in each post… sometimes that faith may be small, but it’s still there. I’m young and have much to learn about the world. Faith is not measured by are human way of thinking… it’s surrendering ALL that we know and believeis true and putting just the tiniest bit of faith in God and asking Him? That’s all it takes is for one humble moment with just an ounce of faith… it’s to be real and not let all the “facts” cloud your judgment; and from all the the realness that you have with in you… ask HIM… ask Him if He’s real… ask Him to show himself to you in ways that you may see Him. If you step out in faith… I wonder if just maybe He will bless you in a way that you may understand what I know in my heart.
I at times wonder and ask God, ” are you real”? Especially as I walk alongside this forgotten road in my life. How could such a loving God allow such hate to rise up all around? Why? I always come out with this…. it’s not about surviving, it’s about the amazing relationship with Him. He created us to love Him… it’s…. it’s all a lot of information. I’m daily learning about it… but when it all comes down to it… I just want to live a life full of FAITH, HOPE and LOVE. I want to have a faith that takes the “facts” that are so minimal compared to how it feels to be surrounded by His Spirit. To have a hope that passes all the heartache in the world… that even though the walls are closing in around me… there will be a day where freedom will ring throughout a nation far greater than what we could “imagine”. And Love, I want a love that is immeasurable, a love that is unconditional… I could not truly love if I didn’t know what a sinner like me knew what it was like to be loved by the grace of the ONE true God who sent his only son, Jesus Christ to save a retch like me.
Well… I don’t know what you are thinking. I hope that you feel that maybe you could possibly try an ounce of faith and see where it leads you. But I wonder if you will just smile and roll your eyes at this crazy 27 year old Jesus Freak:) I just want you to know that I don’t think that any FACT brought us to this conversation. I believe that it was for a reason… and I hope you know that I do care what you think… I stand corrected about our founding fathers not being the one who said “One Nation under God” :) but I do think you know that America was built on a biblical principle? and if all that is hog wash… don’t you think if we could just love it would not be a “hot topic” about this temple being built. It’s not about a temple being built… it about the lack of loving the brokenhearted people who suffered on that day. We just want our leader that leads our nation to show some love to our hurting fellow Americans. If it were Christians who flew that plane into the twin towers than I am sure as hell, that no one would want a “Christian” church being built by ground zero.
Faith, Hope and Love, my friend:) Wherever you are in the world today; it is my prayer that you may surrender your box and find a moment to see if you could have an faith to ask God if he is really real. :) I hope the sun is shinning as bright as it is here in Michigan:)
But… our founding fathers did believe in God,
Demonstrably false. Many of the founding fathers were as about as secular as one could be, given the time.
They did build our nation on biblical principles…
Absolutely, slavery was a big hit and, according to biblical principles, was just great.
Why do you think that so many military men and women believe that that Jesus is real?
I would hypothesize that their parents brainwashed them at an early age. Converting rational adults to believe in the sky-fairy usually is not very successful.
why do so many of us crazy humans believe in a “higher power”
I would again point the finger of blame on parents. Children do not have a chance to develop their faculties before being indoctrinated with this particular mythology.
I know this all sounds crazy and non of it is going be sound facts…. but that is just it… it’s not about facts any more?
Losing grip with rational thought is usually akin to being diagnosed as ‘insane’ or delusional.
sk Him to show himself to you in ways that you may see Him. If you step out in faith… I wonder if just maybe He will bless you in a way that you may understand what I know in my heart.
How about the great divine omnipotent, omnipresent, do something easy? How she use her divine power and grow back one limb of one amputee? Just one. Not once through all of record history has this happened. Nor, most likely, will it.
But I wonder if you will just smile and roll your eyes at this crazy 27 year old Jesus Freak:)
I followed the link from Ben’s and Wow, just wow… I’m several steps past eye rolling.
What? Ben, stop ruining this perfectly delusional assertion with fact. The Founding Fathers were certainly not in the business of starting a religious state. They had seen the tomfoolery of doing that and actually wanted a state that worked, as opposed to one mired in dogmatic nonsense.
I quote some of the founding fathers:
Thomas Jefferson:
“Is uniformity attainable? Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half the world fools and the other half hypocrites. To support roguery and error
all over the earth.” – Thomas Jefferson (Notes on Virginia, 1782; from George Seldes, ed., The Great Quotations, Secaucus, New Jersey: Citadel Press, 1983, p. 363.)
John Adams:
“As the Government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Musselmen; and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.” – (Treaty of Tripoli, 1797 – signed by President John Adams.)
James Madison:
“During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less in all places, pride and indolence in the Clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution.” – James Madison (Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessments, 1785.)
Thomas Paine:
“Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and torturous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness, with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we called it the word of a demon, than the word of God. It is a history of wickedness, that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind.” – Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason, 1794-1795.)
The founding fathers deserve to be commended they managed to construct a rational society despite the prescriptive delusional inanity that was prevalent at the time. Clearly,not founded as christian nation.
:) you are way too kind… i may need a pride check after all your very kind words:) and Yes, I think I know who this is:) I am humbled to know that you see something like that in me. Finding me has been a journey… but God really has been showing me some things and I think it’s all coming together. I wish I did not have to keep writing all this stuff down… I’m afraid I will forget all I’m thinking… it’s good stuff… I feel bad for my poor therapist on Monday because he is going to have this crazy girl talk a lot… I am sick of keeping it all on paper… or this blog… I just need to shout it out and than go for a long run after that! I need to go for a run now! :) Want to go for a run with me;) It would be so bad if I was wrong on who I think this is:) LOL!
Anyway… thank you my friend for your kind words… it means a lot to me. Who knows… maybe you’re right… maybe God’s plans for my life are bigger than what I think:) I will do whatever He has called me to do:) Go, be, do… right:) Enjoy the sunshine today my friend! It is beyond beautiful outside!
I really like your blog. You are right about the founding of this nation. And you are correct that we don’t worship the same God. Theirs is a false god made in their image. I have subscribed to the feed as well.
Thanks.
And you are correct that we don’t worship the same God. Theirs is a false god made in their image.
Any way you can prove that? I mean, apologies to “L”, past feeling it in your heart? Because out here in rational land (*waves*) evidence is mandatory.
I worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster and she says both allah and god are the false gods and I feel that in my meatball loving heart.
My argument holds *exactly* as much weight as yours does. So how does it feel….heathen? :)
It feels sad that you are so closed minded. It makes my sad that you may never know the joy that rescues my heartache. And yes, their are times that it would be easier to believe in something else… that food can be my god and it will make “it” all better, or that death is the perfect god because then I could escape from all the pain in this world, or perhaps hate…it would feel so good to hate some people right now.
Look I am not asking you to judge me, why would you care if I believe in God, or if anyone believes in God? I am glad I made your eyes roll. (mine are rolling right now)
It’s not okay just to “be” and the world may think that it’s okay to agree to disagree… but some day we all will have to answer to a God who will want to know what did you do with the life HE created? I know you are rolling you eyes, and don’t believe that…
I guess it doesn’t matter what I say and a huge part of me wants to say sorry… but you know what I am sick of saying sorry to make it easier…
your talking to a girl who’s personality became very passive because of people who never let me be the “real me” AND the ONE day I decided to be assertive with a twist of aggressive attitude…
L said:It feels sad that you are so closed minded.
Contrary to what I think your definition of close minded is, I have reasonable grounds to say I am rather open minded. :) As the claims I make have a basis in testable, falsifiable, reality.
Now please, do not get me wrong, you have every right to believe in the delu…err religion of your choice. However, when you bring to the table your opinions and assumptions about how the world should work based on your magic book’s ‘wisdom’, then I have problem. Allow me to demonstrate:
L said: 1. Our country was founded on GOD. [...]
2. Yet they also decided as an American government to be ONE Nation UNDER GOD!
3. That is where our founding fathers formulated the idea of “freedom of choice, freedom of religion”.
Premise #1 – is demonstrably false (as indicated by the quoted material earlier). Any sort of analysis of what the founding fathers had written or said would make this clear.
Premise #2 – Clearly, based on premise 1, and also false.
Premise #3 – Also based on a faulty premise, and needs further verification.
So, rather than looking at what the founding fathers actually said and did, you spin a mendaciously romantic tale about god and the founding of America. Based on what? Certainly not historical fact, but rather a regurgitation the christian mythology that happens to reinforce your particular view of the world. And “I” should be worried about being ‘closed minded’?
Look I am not asking you to judge me, why the heck do you care if I believe in God, or if anyone believes in God?
I have not judged *you* as a person, merely your delusional beliefs and the spectrum of faulty assumptions that flow from believing in mythology. When you post things on the Internet that people disagree with, sometimes they comment.
It’s not okay just to be and the world may think that it’s okay to agree to disagree… but some day we all will have to answer to a God who will want to know what did you do with the life HE created?
Your belief is precisely that, your belief. Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists would disagree with your assessment of how things go. They have as much right to claim theirs is the *true* god as you do, rest assuredly they ‘know it in their hearts’ they are right as well. And really, that is quite acceptable to me.
However, when decisions that effect me in society are based on ‘what god said’ or ‘what a magic book says’ then I have problem with religion because basing public policy in a secular state on religious mythology is wrong.
I guess it doesn’t matter what I say and a huge part of me wants to say sorry…
Please, do not be sorry for stating your beliefs, just realize that they beliefs and do not necessarily coincide with the reality of every situation.
your talking to a girl who’s personality became very passive because of people who never let me be the “real me” AND the ONE day I decided to be assertive with a twist of aggressive attitude… well it didn’t work out very well:( … oh well..
I would not conclude it is failure, or even a negative experience. Having ones views challenged and taken to task can be a educational experience. Having a blog is fundamentally about sharing and interacting with other people, not everyone is going to have similar backgrounds or opinions on topics, hence debate ensues.
A healthy debate is never a bad thing. Keep up the good work.
” would not conclude it is failure, or even a negative experience. Having ones views challenged and taken to task can be a educational experience. Having a blog is fundamentally about sharing and interacting with other people, not everyone is going to have similar backgrounds or opinions on topics, hence debate ensues.
A healthy debate is never a bad thing. Keep up the good work.”
You are very right about that. Thank you for teaching me something insightful! Perhaps we shall debate again… not anytime soon though:) LOL!
Wow, every word of this comment is so extremely true!! I could not have said it better myself!