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We are blessed to be in America
Washington Post political reporter Karen Tumulty wrote Monday about the growing use of the idea of "American exceptionalism" by political conservatives as a "battle cry from a new front in the ongoing culture wars."
Sarah Palin and many other prominent conservatives assert that "God has granted America a special role in human history." It is this belief about America's destiny that they say is "under attack" by liberals who downplay America's distinctiveness.
Are these leaders saying that America has a special relationship with God?
How do you interpret this?
One of the unfavorable trends within modern-day Christianity is that we have lost the sense of the "story" in favor of abstractions and an overly conceptual approach to the faith. That's one of the reasons that many take exception to American exceptionalism.
But America is a story. It is a story of people who risked their lives because they believed, and brought together a nation not based on common origin in a geographical location, but based on a conviction. "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."
That, and so many other convictions of the founders, are Biblically based. There is no source more frequently used in the documents of our Founders than the Bible. In fact, the very idea of the three branches of government is Biblically based. Power cannot be concentrated in any one person or branch, due to the corruptive power of original and personal sin.
Those who doubt the role of religion in the founding vision of our nation need only read Original Intent by David Barton. And those who doubt that we are blessed to be in America need only do some travel to where most other people on the planet live.
But the story of Christianity allows us to believe that while God has unbounded love for every human being in every nation, he also bestows particular favors on individuals and nations - not, indeed, to divide the human family, but rather to point the human family in the path of freedom, justice, and peace. This does not equate the Kingdom of God with America or any other nation, and it certainly does not mean that we do not fail terribly to be faithful to our calling (as my full-time work with the abortion issue reminds me constantly).
But let's not be afraid of the story, nor of telling it, nor of striving anew each day to live up to it.
By
Fr. Frank Pavone
|
December 8, 2010; 11:39 AM ET
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Posted by: dollyangel | December 20, 2010 7:43 AM
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Fr. Frank, it is so unfortunate that the last century of the progressive-liberal movement has done its very utmost to bring about the same changes in America that it has in Europe. I hope comments like yours aid us in understanding on what principles we declared independence from England in the first place and why so many immigrants have sought to come to this great land.
Posted by: bwheels82 | December 12, 2010 3:00 PM
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Wonderful post, Fr. Pavone. So many have forgotten (or outright ignored) the Christian beliefs of our founding fathers. Thank you for reminding us.
Posted by: DomesticApologist | December 9, 2010 4:30 PM
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Unreasonable searches and leaks. People are going to get in trouble. Each must tend to his own garden. Buried under, cold and preparing for lawsuits. Eternally the dupes will be cursed. God bless America and don't get duped or try not to.
Posted by: jobandon | December 9, 2010 7:44 AM
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We've seen how much evil can be done when a religious body controls a country. Our founders realized that religions must have no secular power and they didn't really care about any other power because this was a fairly irreligious nation at the time.
Posted by: david6 | December 8, 2010 1:52 PM
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Yes, Father!
How is it some people can turn a blind eye to the religious foundation of this country?! They truly must be living in a fantasy world, and are gullible enough to 'swallow' the 'all religion is dangerous' nonsense.