The Southwest Voice

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Upon leaving the Constitutional Convention at its close in 1787, Benjamin Franklin was asked whether the Founding Fathers had decided on a monarchy or a republic. Franklin responded, “A republic, if you can keep it.”

I think Franklin may have been somewhat of a prophet. A lot is made in the Christian community (of which I am a born-again member) about how the Founding Fathers were Bible-believing Christians. They may have been, but don’t believe for an instant that they were intending to establish a Christian nation. Their intentions were to escape the religious persecution of England. They established exactly what they intended — a democracy, not a theocracy. Freedom of religion is at the core of their beliefs, even freedom from religion if that is what an individual decides. But now religion and politics have somehow forged a very strange alliance.

We question a person’s religion as a deciding factor in whether he or she is fit for office. What that often leads to is a plethora of political speeches ending with, “God bless America” — which almost takes on the tone of nothing more than “Good night and good luck.” George Bush is allegedly a born-again believer. Has that guided him in the best decisions for this nation?

City Councilwoman Jacquie Sullivan spearheaded a campaign that put patriotic posters, including the phrase “In God We Trust” into high school classrooms. Sullivan is a wonderful person and public servant, I know her. But here is the problem. If the intention is to some how get God into the classroom this way, the campaign failed. The only way God will ever get into the classroom is in the hearts and minds of students and faculty. Plus, won’t most Christians say that the God they serve is different than the gods of other religions?

I’m a Christian. I love the Lord. So here’s a motto you can put on a bumper sticker instead of all those “God Bless America” — how about one that says, “America, Bless God”?

Old Ben had the right idea. The great thing about democracy is that people have the freedom to do just about anything they want. The problem with democracy is that people have the freedom to do just about anything they want.