God Bless America

If this was 1776 I could be hung as a traitor for what I am about to say. I've been thinking about this a long time. While studying the Revolutionary War to write my newest book I became more convinced that it was the result of political and religious struggles rooted in Europe. The immigrants didn't leave their feelings behind when they sailed away from Europe but imported their prejudices and opinions along with their bodies when they stepped ashore in North America. 

The English and Irish have been feuding for centuries and it continued into my lifetime. The Scots-Irish Presbyterians were the hot heads who stirred up the rebellion in New England that spread down through the colonies. The Episcopalians were the American version of the Anglican Church of England that formed because they refused to swear allegiance to the king. The Presbyterians and Episcopalian ministers preached independence from their pulpits with such fervor they were called "the black regiment."

We were taught in history class that King George III was a tyrant and the cry for independence was raised by the majority of the colonists. That is simply not true. The majority of the general public was satisfied with British rule. The loud organized voice of the minority drowned out the voice of the unorganized majority, much as we see today with the gay and transgender "rights" movement.

Our founding fathers were not deeply religious men of God nor was the nation solidly founded on Christian principles. Benjamin Franklin was not a member of any church. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams maintained membership in the Episcopal and Congregational (Puritan) churches in which they were raised but embraced Unitarian theology which denies the Trinity. George Washington’s diary contains no references to God and shows he did not attend worship services regularly. When he did go to church, he refused to kneel for prayer. The Declaration of Independence mentions God but states that government gets its  authority from the people (rather than from God), who have the right to alter or abolish it and form a new government which seems to be in their best interest. The Constitution makes no mention of God or acknowledgement of Him.

We have been fed a line in history class that is skewed and littered with myths of things that never happened. Two examples of embroidered history commonly repeated are George Washington kneeling in the snow to pray at Valley Forge and Patrick Henry’s famous statement, “Give me liberty or give me death.” Both were conceived many years after the fact, and there is no historical evidence to support either story.

Canada stayed and still is under British rule. Would we really be much worse off if we were like Canada? If we were, we would not be having this big political battle over health care because it would be nationalized. Was King George III really a tyrant? Was he any worse than some of the ungodly and inept presidents the United States have elected in the past and present? I'm not about to move to Canada, but if I had been living during the Revolutionary War might I have been part of the exodus that went north to stay under the crown?
I do appreciate the freedom we have in this country. I pray for our leaders, pay my taxes, and obey the laws. And I pray that America will repent of her evil ways and be a truly Christian nation. Then God will abundantly bless America.