George Washington's Inaugural Address

George Washington's inaugural address in 1784

At his first inauguration, George Washington took the oath of office for the presidency on April 30, 1789. He was standing on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City with his hand on an open Bible.

"Such being the impressions under which I have, in obedience to the public summons, repaired to the present station, it would be peculiarly improper to omit, in this first official act, my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations and whose providential aide can supply every human defect, that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States a Government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes; and may enable every instrument employed in its administration to execute with success, the functions allotted to his charge.

In tendering this homage to the Great Author of every public and private good, I assure myself that it expresses your sentiments not less than my own; nor those of my fellow-citizens at large, less than either. No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the United States.

Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency; and in the important revolution just accomplished in the system of their United government, the tranquil deliberations and voluntary consent of so many distinct communities, from which the event has resulted can not be compared with the means by which most governments have been established, without some return of pious gratitude, along with an humble anticipation of the future blessings which them past seem to presage.

These reflections, arising out of the present crisis, have forced themselves too strongly on my mind to be suppressed. You will join with me I trust in thinking, that there are none under the influence of which the proceedings of a new and free Government can more auspiciously commence.

We ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained; and since the preservation of sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are justly considered as deeply, perhaps finally, staked of the experiment...

I shall take my present leave; but not without resorting once more to the Benign Parent of the Human Race, in humble supplication that, since He has been pleased to favor the American people with opportunities for deliberating in perfect tranquility, and dispositions for deciding with unparalleled unanimity on a form of government for the security of their union and the advancement of their happiness, so His divine blessings may be equally conspicuous in the enlarged views, the temperate consultations and the wise measures on which the success of this Government must depend."

Freedom Isn't Free, It's a gift from God

When you know the truth, the truth will make you free — John 8:32

Truth is the one thing that is hard to discover and a lot of people are just not interested. If we are the least bit interested in the truth, we listen to news broadcasters each evening or morning. The word of that is that if you are a channel flipper like me you hear different tales about the same news on different news organizations. They just can't seem to come to some agreement as to what the truth is. The maddest I believe I have ever been is when I learned that our politicians do not have to tell the TRUTH while campaigning. Why do we bother listening to campaign speeches or advertisements during elections because they are all LIES designed by people in advertising to make their man look good. I know, I spent 20 years in advertising.

The Mayflower Compact was a document establishing a Christian colony at Plymouth Rock, Va. in 1620:

"In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereigne Lord, King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britaine, France and Ireland king, defender of the faith, etc. having undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, and honour of our king and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the Northerne parts of Virginia, doe by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civill body politick, for our better ordering and preservation, and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enacte, constitute, and frame such just and equall laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meete and convenient for the generall good of the Colonie unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witness whereof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cape-Codd the 11. of November, in the year of the raigne of our sovereigne lord, King James, of England, France and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fiftie-fourth Anno Dom. 1620."

And the document is followed by forty one signatures.

Following are some quotes that should be taught to every man, woman and child of the United States of America because we are FREE and FREEDOM comes from God and so does the UNITED STATES.

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As we celebrate the birth of our nation it’s important to know the truth that set our freedom free. This nation was founded not by religionists but by Christian faith. 

— the Mayflower Compact of 1620.

This nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians; not religion, but by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

— Patrick Henry

We recognize no sovereign but God and no king but Jesus Christ — John Hancock

[The Constitution] A system, which without the finger of God could not have been suggested. 

— Alexander Hamilton

The Lord is our judge [Judicial]; The Lord is our lawgiver [Legislative]; The Lord is our King [Executive]. 

— James Madison inspired by Isaiah 33:22

"God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever. Commerce between master and slave is despotism. Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than these people are to be free. Establish the law for educating the common people. This it is the business of the state to effect and on a general plan." 

— Thomas Jefferson 

"To the distinguished character of patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian." 

— George Washington

Inscribed on the Liberty Bell: 

"Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the inhabitants thereof" 

— Leviticus 25:10

I now make it my earnest prayer that God would have you, and the State over which you preside, in his holy protection; that he would incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government, to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow-citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for brethren who have served in the field; and finally that he would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind, which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy nation. 

— George Washington

The Gettysburg Address, 2013 Version

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.  

(These are the words delivered by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 at the Gettysburg Battle Ground paying tribute to those who had died there. Lincoln was referring to our founding fathers who founded this nation in 1776 (Four score 7 years before 1863). It has now been eleven score one decade and seven years that this great land became a nation.)

The direction this nation has been moving the last few decades makes me wonder if we are about to become engaged in a great civil war, testing whether this nation, so conceived and dedicated, can long endure. We could very well meet on a great battle-field to determine if we are able to keep our freedoms that were so bravely fought for in 1776. 

A Nation dedicated to the peace of the world fought in many more wars. The war of 1812 (which few if any remember), the civil war in 1861, the battle of San Juan Hill in 1891, World War I in which started in 1914 and ended in 1918, World War II from 1938 until 1945. Since then we have fought in Korea, Vietnam, Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Up until the end of World War II we fought not only for our freedom but for the freedom of others. In World War II we defended the Netherlands, Belgium, England, France, Algiers, and the desert of North Africa from German invasion for their natural resources. We also defended hundreds Pacific islands including Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and far too many to name in this short writing from Japanese aggression.

The freedom of the world has long been placed in the hands of the United States of America and in the past our citizens have fought bravely for God, country and freedom. But we have now reached a point of selfishness and greed that seems to have quieted our desire for the liberty of others.

As other nations lose their God given freedom and liberty, so will we. Eventually we will find ourselves wanting to regain what we have selfishly given away because of our lack of interest in our Constitution and what our country was founded for. We have taken for granted that things will only get better while we do nothing to insure it. All we have to do is vote for politicians who promise to do their best to keep our Nation strong. It is obvious to anyone who is paying attention to the economy, the uncontrolled growth of the government and the social programs which are rampant that this once great nation is in dire distress.

There are many of us who feel that way who are now being called radicals and terrorists. We have reached the point where there are people desirous of removing God from the Pledge of Allegiance are the radicals and terrorists.

Yes, there are terrorists in the United States and you can readily identify them. They are wanting to change our laws to coincide with their radical laws which, in our minds, we find abhorrent. But it is not politically correct to call them by their name nor mention their political affiliation. Let's just call them progressives.

In my humble opinion there will come a day when we will have to dedicate a portion of some great battlefield, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that this nation might be saved from the progressive ruination. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. Let me now finish with the last paragraph of the Gettysburg Address which I think is totally fitting.

“But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground or any other ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will long remember what we say here, but it will never forget what they do here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that 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 that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”