Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Our nation’s Thanksgiving: A time to thank God
OUR NATION'S FIRST Thanksgiving Day took place on November 26, 1789. It was a religious event.
To the
chagrin of the anti-religionists among us today, on September 25, 1789, the
first act of Congress after framing the Bill of Rights, which prohibited an
establishment of religion, was to pass a resolution requesting that the
President of the United States recommend to the people a “Day of Public
Thanksgiving and Prayer.” This
Resolution is clear evidence that our Founding Fathers never imagined that the
language of the Establishment Clause they had just adopted in the Bill of
Rights would someday be interpreted by the Supreme Court as creating a “wall of
separation between church and state” and used to ban God from the public
square.
Washington
enthusiastically agreed to the Resolution of both Houses of Congress. In his Proclamation dated October 3, 1789, he
began: “Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of
Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to
implore His protection and favour; …”
Nowadays,
Thanksgiving in America is a joyful celebration; a day to spend with family and
friends; a day to eat turkey; a day to watch football and Thanksgiving Day
parades. But at this time of great
turmoil around the world, it is important that we reflect on the reasons for
our Nation’s First Thanksgiving. On this
Thanksgiving Day, please, take time to thank God for the many blessings we
enjoy in this amazing land of ours, and to think about, and implore God’s
protection, over the men and women serving in our Armed Forces who stand the
lonely guard, in rough and faraway places, so that we may enjoy this
Thanksgiving Day far from the sounds of war.
Below is the
first National Thanksgiving proclamation issued by President Washington. Please
take a moment to read it. Click here to see the actual Proclamation.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Conscience rights under the Obama Administration, next on Faith on Trail
ON MAY17, 2009 President Obama gave the commence address at the University of
Notre
Dame and was awarded an honorary degree.
The invitation was controversial and was opposed by the local Catholic
Bishop and 80 other U.S. bishops across the nation, as well as numerous members
of the faculty at Notre Dame. During his
address, the president said: "Let's
honor the conscience of those who
disagree with abortion, and draft a sensible conscience clause, and make sure
that all of our health care policies are grounded not only in sound science,
but also in clear ethics, as well as respect for the equality of women." How
well did he do in honoring the conscience rights of those who disagree with
abortion? This week on Faith on Trial Charles E. Rice, Professor Emeritus at
Notre Dame Law School, will grade the president on that promise. Professor Rice is the author of the book What Happened at Notre Dame and the
forthcoming Contraception and Persecution.
Listen to Professor Rice this Tuesday at 9 a.m. and re-broadcast at 9 p.m.
(central) on Iowa Catholic Radio, 1150 AM, 88.5 & 94.5 FM and streaming
live on IowaCatholicRadio.com.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Where were you 50 years ago today? Do you know who else died that day?
EVERYBODY
ALIVE 50 years ago will remember where they were when they heard the news of
President Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas, Texas. This weekend there will be numerous
television specials on the assassination and its continuing affect on the
United States. But did you know that on
the same day President Kennedy (b. 1917) died the great Christian apologist C.
S. Lewis (b. 1898) also died? Lewis, you might recall, was a prolific author
who penned such classics as The Chronicles of Narnia, Mere Christianity, the
Great Divorce and the Screwtape Letters.
Ironically, Aldous Huxley (b.1894) also died on this date 50 years ago.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)