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George Washington, The Flag and The Almighty

George Washington, The Flag and The Almighty
By J.L. Robb

It is reported that a church in Virginia, founded and attended by President George Washington, will remove a plaque that honors him, our very first President. Why would they do that, you might ask? Why would a church of today’s enlightened era of inclusion of all and everything suddenly exclude the Founding Father and winner of the Revolutionary War? Risking his own life and the lives of others, he broke the bonds of a religiously, obsessive England. My, how things change. Belief in the God of Abraham is shared by only a minority there now.

There is some debate between the left and the very left as to whether George Washington was really a Christian as claimed. In their never-ending quest to rewrite the history of the USA and its churches, George Washington was a Christian for show only. It was necessary. One would have to ask why that would be necessary were it not that everyone was Christian, or almost.

Christ Church, Alexandria, Virginia, opened in 1773 and was attended more than 20 years by George Washington, who purchased Pew 5. The church has announced this past week that they will remove a memorial that identifies the Washington Family Pew because it is “not acceptable” for all worshippers. All is a tricky word.

From church leaders:

“The plaques in our sanctuary make some in our presence feel unsafe or unwelcome. Some visitors and guests who worship with us choose not to return because they receive an unintended message from the prominent presence of the plaques.”

Unsafe and unwelcome by whom? Historical plaques?

Slavery is the issue. Seems that George Washington had plenty of slaves while he was saving the country from the claws of England, founding a church and declaring Thanksgiving a holiday. The following proclamation seems to indicate that his religion was more than show:

“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 favor- and, whereas, both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”

Try to imagine today’s Senate and Congress uniting behind such a stance.

When the Founders were alive, slavery was legal in all 13 colonies and most aristocrats owned slaves, as did free black folk at the time. Slavery was also legal 3,500 years ago when Moses wrote, after the Hebrews were enslaved in Africa for 400 years, about Hebrews enslaving other Hebrews:

“Now these are the ordinances which you are to set before them: If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out as a free man without payment. If he comes alone, he shall go out alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall go out with him.…” Exodus 21:1-3 NASB

The Christ Church leaders concluded that the plaques were inappropriate for the current era, calling them “relics.” They feel this is contrary to the church motto:

All are welcome- no exceptions.

No exceptions for this Episcopal church except the founders of our country. By the way, Robert E. Lee’s plaque is also being removed, since he was from another era, a relic and also owned slaves.

Wasn’t Jesus from another era? Maybe that explains why Jesus is no longer welcome in the all-inclusive churches of today, inclusive of everyone except those who believe that God actually meant what He said and said what He meant. The new Jesus is welcome, the one who is okay with abortion and guys marrying guys, the Jesus who is okay with children not being educated about God in the public square, as though He is a myth.

Where exactly does it say that Jesus is all-inclusive? It was Jesus who said the Law was valid, and the Law is hardly inclusive. Read no further than Leviticus.

It is no wonder that the new progressive churches are de-historizing our country, because the old version does not fit the mold of the new version where everyone is a victim of something and is, of course, all-inclusive of adulterers, pedophiles, gays, transgenders, all the things that the church used to find abhorrent while turning against Israel, family and traditional values of our Founders.

A question for the reformed and open-minded church: Do you think there might be fewer STDs had the church not become okay with the sexual revolution? Do you think it is possible that one of the millions of aborted might have found the cure to breast cancer, prostate cancer or lupus had the church not been so silent about a woman’s choice?

Apparently there was a backlash from many members of Christ Church of sorts, but never-mind. Dissenting voices are not all welcome.

Washington was a strong Christian of his day, and that was a day when the tenets of Christianity were followed much more closely than today.

As for Robert Edward Lee, this church was “so integral to his family that Mary Custis Lee, his daughter, left the church $10,000 in her will upon her death in 1918. That money was used to begin the church’s endowment.”

In that day, $10,000.00 was a lot of money, especially for a church that would grow to snub the benefactors, because they partook in a legal activity, good, bad or ugly.

When will we tear down the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial? When will we demolish Stone Mountain, Georgia and Mount Rushmore? What American idols will the new generation carve into our mountains, Beyoncé?

Not long ago the Taliban ruled Afghanistan and blew up some ancient Buddha statues, rewriting history. In 2015, ISIS did the same at Palmyra, destroying Christian history.

It seems America has her own ISIS, destroyers of history because someone is offended. We can have no Ten Commandments in the Courthouse, believed by about 90% of the population, because a single individual is offended. If we forget history, we repeat history. History is reality, good and bad. Use it as a teaching opportunity.

Our Founders were not failures or losers but were the strongest of men and considered honorable at the time and are still considered honorable by most who have studied the history. They were considered honorable until about 10 years ago when they suddenly became dishonorable, racist and homophobes. This from liberal churches, liberal leaders and liberal schools.

An ending note about President George Washington and Phillis Wheatley, a slave girl who thanked God for the opportunity of being in America.

On Being Brought from Africa to America

“Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land,
Taught my benighted soul to understand
That there’s a God, that there’s a Saviour too:
Once I redemption neither sought nor knew.
Some view our sable race with scornful eye,
“Their colour is a diabolic die.”
Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain,
May be refin’d, and join th’ angelic train.                                                                                              Phillis Wheatley, 1753-1784

Phillis Wheatley was the first published female African poet in America. She was not depressed to be a slave and expresses God’s mercy in getting her out of her homeland and to America in her poetry. She sent an ode to His Excellency General Washington in 1775 and here is the last paragraph:

“Proceed, great chief, with virtue on thy side,
Thy ev’ry action let the goddess guide.
A crown, a mansion, and a throne that shine,
With gold unfading, WASHINGTON! Be thine.”

It is doubtful that the slave Phillis Wheatley would take kindly to the slander being thrown toward our Founders, the destruction of historic monuments and the rewriting of history.

Making God a liberal is a definite rewrite, and children should be taught to respect rather than protest history. History cannot be changed, only forgotten.

Old Glory

I Am the Flag Of America
I am the flag of the United States of America.
My name is Old Glory.
I fly atop the world’s tallest buildings.
I stand watch in America’s halls of justice.
I fly majestically over institutions of learning.
I stand guard with power in the world.
Look up and see me.

I stand for peace, honor, truth and justice.
I stand for freedom.
I am confident.
I am arrogant,
I am proud.

When I am flown with my fellow banners,
My head is a little higher,
My colors a little truer.

I bow to no one!
I am recognized all over the world.
I am honored – I am saluted.
I am loved – I am revered.
I am respected – and I am feared.

I have fought in every battle
of every war for more than 200 years.

I was flown at Valley Forge,
Gettysburg, Shiloh and Appomattox.
I was there at San Juan Hill,
the trenches of France,
in the Argonne Forest,
Anzio, Rome and the beaches of Normandy.

Guam, Okinawa, Korea and
Khe Sanh, Saigon, Vietnam knows me.
I was there.

I led my troops, I was dirty, battleworn and tired,
But my soldiers cheered me and I was proud.

I have been burned, torn and trampled on the
streets of countries I have helped set free.
It does not hurt for I am a symbol of love and freedom.
I have been soiled upon, burned, torn and
trampled in the streets of my country.
And when it’s done by those
Whom I’ve served in battle – it hurts.
But I shall overcome – for I am strong.

I have slipped the bonds of Earth
and stood watch over the uncharted
frontiers of space from my vantage point on the moon.
I have borne silent witness to all of America’s finest hours.

But my finest hours are yet to come.

When I am torn into strips and used as bandages
for my wounded comrades on the battlefield,
When I am flown at half-mast to honor my soldier,
Or when I lie in the trembling arms of a grieving parent
at the grave of their fallen son or daughter,

I am proud.
Yet, I am humble. I know that my greatness comes from God.
I know that God’s blessing is what makes my country great. Sgt. Howard Schnauber (1922-2004)

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