I know the story of a young British woman with a newborn son that boarded the Queen Mary in 1946 with hundreds of other WW2 British War Brides. She was on her way to America to begin a new life, totally different than her own, with her American GI husband.
Heading to America
This is just a miniscule piece of my heritage, but really my heritage began before that, and before that, and way before that. Knowing, at the least one’s immediate heritage is of upmost importance, and I think that begins with the most basic and foundational of relationships…the family. The root of every stable civilization is, first and foremost, a trust and belief in God…the God of whom it is written: “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it.'”
Widening the perspective, the prosperity of any nation, even the prosperity of humanity itself, is dependent upon a belief and trust in God, and maintaining a Biblical family structure. It’s within the following four structures that our heritage is established.
1) Relationship to God. 2) Relationship to family. 3) Relationship to one’s country. 4) Relationship to the family of man.
It’s within these that we solidify our identity and heritage. We learn who we are, to whom we belong, and our personal value and responsibility to each. Because we are fallen creatures, we do all of the following imperfectly, but I believe the things listed will create strong societies, and have contributed to America’s strength and prosperity.
Our American heritage
Our heritage from God: 1) We have been created by God. 2) We are made in His image. 3) He has given us life, creating us male and female. 4) From Him we received intelligence, language, emotions, will, imagination, and creativity. 5) He has written His law on our hearts. 6) We live on a beautiful planet with plenty of natural resources that provide for and support all of His creation.
Our heritage as established by the family: 1) Our gender is established. 2) We are given a name. 3) We discover our unique identity. 4) We learn to whom we belong. 5) We become an important part of our family history. 5) We adopt the family’s traditions, celebrations, religion, language, moral standards, training, and close relationships. 6) From the family we learn self-worth, individuality, respect for authority, gratitude, trust of government, and love of God and country.
Our heritage as Americans: Whether born in America or having immigrated to it, America’s history is embraced and we make it our own. 1) Our heritage is established, first and foremost, through the roots of Western Civilization. 2) Our heritage is grounded in the 56 Founding Fathers who risked their lives by signing the Declaration of Independence. We have the Bill of Rights, and a Constitution. 3) Freedom of speech and religion. 4) Our heritage is based on the Rule of Law, fair and honest elections, and God given inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 5) Our heritage as Americans is also found in our common culture and language, the National Anthem, national and state flags, Christian religion, strong military, national borders, monuments, holidays, sports, music, art, and film.
Our heritage as being part of the family of man: 1) All of mankind are created by God. 2) We share a common humanity, regardless of nationality, language, and culture. 3) We have inherited a sin nature and are all in need of a Savior. 4) No life is less valuable and precious than another. 5) All of mankind are created equal.
The fundamentally transformed America
So how has America been transformed? What changed? The answer is really pretty simple; all those things listed above have been, or are in the process of being, reversed. Here are my Top 20 ways in which its been accomplished:
The first 10: 1) Suppress Christianity. 2) Censor God’s word and authority in the public square. 3) Discredit the Bible. 4) Create laws in direct opposition to God’s commandments. 5) Convince people that our rights and provision come from government, not God. 6) Redefine the family. 7) Encourage gender confusion and fluidity. 8) Devalue life: sacrifice the unborn, the aged, any considered “less than”. 9) View people as groups, not individuals; remove personal identity through use of pronouns. 10) Promote and encourage sexually deviant behavior by passing laws that make it acceptable.
The next 10: 11) Create division and strife among races, genders, nationalities, nations, cultures, political beliefs and affiliations. 12) Remove national borders. 13) Promote distrust of law enforcement and weaken the military. 14) Cause constant confusion, fear and unrest. 15) Eliminate equal justice for all under the law. 16) Show that the US Constitution is an outdated document; reinterpret its meaning to suit current agendas. 17) Fail to educate children regarding America’s true history and Constitution. 18) Destroy national pride through disrespect of the flag, the National Anthem, and through the removal of, or desecration of, national monuments and symbols. 19) Use film, music, and art to promote and glorify violence, rebellion, sexual promiscuity, and deviant behavior. 20) Rename traditional holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, in order to remove their Christian meaning.
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I love Lee Greenwood’s song, and because I love America so much I share my concerns from the heart…but do we really expect God to bless a nation that has proudly and aggressively turned from Him? The transformation will continue downward UNLESS…
Independence!! Really? We are an enslaved nation, enslaved to sin and rebellion against our creator. We are rushing toward national suicide, the gun is to our head. We have lost our way and only by the grace of God and sincere and total repentance can this transformation be reversed.
There you have it folks…my sad “Independence Day” message.