Dean Welty, Director of the Valley Family Forum, brings David Barton on his a weekly television program entitled “Valley Faith in Action”. David Barton of Wallbuilders is his guest and he expounds on America’s Godly Heritage.
“Of all the dispositions and habits which lend to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism who should labor to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness.” George Washington, 1796
Why are we putting so much emphasis on our Heritage? Is it because we see the Obama administration violating clear Constitutional principles, attacking our Judeo-Christian values, and limiting our “inalienable” rights to life and to liberty? Is it because of growing efforts to silence the church and to expel God from our public schools and from the public square?
Might there be a connection between these attacks on our Judeo-Christian heritage and the moral decline in our culture — including crime, abortions, broken homes, rampant pornography, and government corruption? Is it possible for America, or any nation, to prosper apart from obedience to God’s principles in our daily lives and in the public square?
What did our Founding Fathers believe about the relationship between religion, morality and the national well-being? Should pastors and their churches get involved in government? What can we do now to rebuild America on the Biblical values and enduring principles of our founding – and why does it matter anyway?
These are some of the questions David Barton will address to support the claim that America has had an exceptional beginning as a Christian nation, and that it is up to each of us to keep that flame of faith and freedom alive.
Were the Founding Fathers Christians?
It can be easily demonstrated that a very high percentage – in fact, the overwhelming majority – of Founding Fathers were Christians, but certainly not all of them were. Today, citizens are regularly told about the lesser religious Founders (such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Thomas Paine), but hear nothing about the prominent Christians among the Founders (for example, 29 of the 56 signers of the Declaration held what are today considered seminary or Bible school degrees, and many others of the signers were bold and outspoken in their personal Christian faith). Significantly, not one of the Founding Fathers was secular in his orientation; even Thomas Paine (certainly the least religious of the Founders) openly acknowledged God and announced his belief in his personal accountability to God, and he also directly advocated teaching creationism in the public school classroom (see “Thomas Paine Criticizes the Current Public School Science Curriculum”). Over 250 individuals are historically considered Founding Fathers (e.g., the signers of the Declaration, the signers of the Constitution, the framers of the Bill of Rights, leading state governors and generals in the Revolution, etc.), but typically critics list only the handful of the least religious from among the 250 to claim that all the Founders were deists or secular. For some resources on this issue, see the List on Wallbuilders
America’s Godly Heritage Part 1
VFIA 161: America’s Godly Heritage Pt.1 from Dean Welty on Vimeo.
America’s Godly Heritage Part 2
VFIA 162: America’s Godly Heritage Pt.2 from Dean Welty on Vimeo.
About Valley Faith in Action: Valley Faith in Action airs on WAZT-TV at 8:00 p.m., Friday, 8:30 p.m. Sunday, and Wednesday midnight. It is available on Comcast Channel 13 in Harrisonburg and parts of Rockingham and on Channel 10 in Shenandoah County, but it varies in other areas. However, you can also watch this and other programs online HERE.Please also save the date for the 10-week American Heritage Seminar that will be held at Lake Shenandoah each Tuesday evening beginning Oct. 9, as well as the Heritage Tour of Washington DC on Saturday, Nov. 10. Stay tuned for details.
