We are a nation that respects the Constitutional separation of "Church and State," but we are also a nation founded on the moral authority found within the Bible.
At a time when Easter is upon us and Passover is weeks away, it is important to reflect on the role of prayer in strengthening a nation that daily celebrates its democracy.
It is not by accident that George Washington placed his hand on a Bible when taking the oath of office of as America's first president. Also, no small wonder that Abraham Lincoln continuously returned to biblical themes as he brought our nation through the agonies of the Civil War. Or that Franklin Delano Roosevelt invoked a "righteous might" when asking for a declaration of war following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
By the height of the Cold War, President Harry Truman signed a proclamation that proclaimed a National Day of Prayer as an annual day of observance while asking Americans to "turn to God in prayer and meditation" as we confronted a godless Soviet regime.
By 1953, President Eisenhower would sign legislation introducing God into our daily Pledge of Allegiance.
In his 1983 declaration that honored the Day of Prayer, President Ronald Reagan said:
"From General Washington's struggle at Valley Forge to the present, this Nation has fervently sought and received divine guidance as it pursued the course of history. This occasion provides our Nation with an opportunity to further recognize the source of our blessings, and to seek His help for the challenges we face today and in the future."
Today, America is being tested by enemies from within and from beyond our borders. They have abducted online technology and perverted it in a manner that seeks to strategically undermine our democracy, especially as we enter the months leading to our election choosing the next president of the United States. There are those who would seek to unravel the laws designed to protect the integrity of our election process for the purpose of advancing their own political agenda, while damaging America's role as a bedrock of freedom.
As we remain wary and guarded against these assaults, we need to turn within and contemplate the words of the Bible that serve to fortify ourselves and our nation. We should follow in the footsteps of great American presidents who put their hands on a book filled with holy words and vowed to "....the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
Lawrence Kadish serves on the Board of Governors of Gatestone Institute.
Edward C. Stengel