"One Nation Under God"

There are those today that believe this nation has never been nor ever was intended to be a nation under God.  The proof, however, that this nation has always been a nation under God is overwhelming.  To give you a small amount of that proof I would like you to follow me on a tour of Washington D.C.  Let's begin with the Washington Monument.  In the cornerstone of that monument was placed a Holy Bible along with copies of the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution.  On the east side of the aluminum capstan is the Latin inscription Laus Deo, which means "Praise be to God".

Now let's walk over to the Jefferson Memorial.  There are those today who claim that history shows Jefferson as a deist.  Therefore you might be surprised what you will find in the Jefferson Memorial.  On the inside dome is the following quote:  "I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the minds of man."  On one panel you will see a famous passage from the Declaration of Independence:  "That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator...".  On another panel you will see an excerpt from a bill establishing religious freedom.  "All attempts to influence it (freedom of religion) by temporal punishments or burdens...are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion".  And on still another panel are the words from Jefferson's 1785 notes on the State of Virginia:  "God who gave us life gave us liberty".

Now let's move on to the Lincoln memorial.  On one side of the statue of Lincoln, inscribed into the wall, is the Gettysburg address.  "We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom."  And on the right side of Lincoln's statue is inscribed this second inaugural address where he mentions God fourteen times and refers to the Bible four times.

Let's walk on over now and visit the Supreme Court Building.  The Supreme Court has been increasingly hostile on public displays of religion.  Yet inside the supreme court there is a religious image of Moses holding the Ten Commandments which affirms the Judeo-Christian roots of our legal system.  In fact, Moses can be found in several places:  in the center of the East Pediment, on the southwest corner of the building, inside the Upper Great Hall and inside the actual courtroom.

What about the actual Capital Building itself?  Let's take a walk over there and have a look.  The U.S.  Capital building is filled with religious imagery and inscriptions.  Various inscriptions around the Capital demonstrate the reliance of our country on God and Faith.  In the Cox Corridor there is a line from "America the Beautiful" carved into the wall:  "America! God shed His grace on thee, and crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea!  Also in the house chamber is the inscription "In God We Trust."  At the east entrance to the Senate chamber are the words Annuit Coeptis which is Latin for "God has favored our undertakings".  The words "In God We Trust" are inscribed outside of the old Supreme Court Chamber in the Capital.  Also, there is a stained glass window depicting George Washington in prayer, under the inscription "This Nation Under God.  Furthermore, a prayer is also inscribed in the window.  It says, "Preserve me, God, for in Thee do I put my trust."

I could keep going with more evidence that this nation was founded and is still one nation under God, but time and space do not permit.  But I think I have made my point.  So the next time someone tries to tell you that America is not a nation under God, you now have some ammunition to shoot back with.  Yes, without a doubt, America is ONE NATION UNDER GOD!