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The Purest Patriotism

Posted in Encouragement, Faith, God, Godly Character, Holiness, Independence Day, Obedience, Seeking God, Uncategorized, Wisdom, tagged Abraham Lincoln, American Patriots, Benjamin Rush, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Daniel Webster, Grover Cleveland, Isaiah 57:15, John Adams, Morality, Noah Webster, Patriotism, Propsperity in America, Ronald Reagan, Theodore Roosevelt on July 4, 2024| 29 Comments »

https://www.azquotes.com/author/28916-Charles_Carroll_of_Carrollton

Except for the formal language, the above quote sounds like something preached from an American pulpit last Sunday. But as you can guess from his portrait, Charles Carroll lived long ago; he was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

He’s certainly not been alone in warning of trouble, should our citizens ignore God and his wise instruction for conduct. Throughout the decades since the founding of America, there have been patriots proclaiming a similar message.

For example:

John Adams

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other” [1].

—John Adams, second U.S. president

“All the . . . evils from which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery, and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible [2].”

—Noah Webster, author of Webster’s Dictionary and numerous textbooks.

Noah Webster

“If the power of the Gospel is not felt throughout the length and breadth of the land – anarchy and misrule, degradation and misery, corruption and darkness, will reign without mitigation or end [3].”

—Daniel Webster, Secretary of State under Harrison, Tyler, and Fillmore.

“Without God there is no virtue because there is no prompting of the conscience . . . without God there is a coarsening of the society; without God democracy will not and cannot long endure. . . . If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a Nation gone under [4].”

— Ronald Reagan, fortieth president of the United States.

Ronald Reagan

And here we are in 2024, witnessing the results when such warnings against misrule, corruption, and vice are ignored.

“The rise in violent crime has become a national trend in the past few years as cities reach homicide rates not seen in decades [5].”

“The United States has done little to improve its battle against public-sector corruption in recent years, according to Transparency International, which measures experts’ perception of corruption around the world. In 2023, for the second year in a row, the U.S. ranks 24th out of 180 countries and territories” (tying with Barbados, and just ahead of Bhutan) [6].

Over 1 in 6 Americans, adults and teens alike, suffered a substance use disorder in 2022. . . . About 30 million had an alcohol use disorder, while 27 million had a drug use disorder — including about 6 million with an opioid use disorder [7].”

Spice addicts passed out on the pavement

And how is America to rectify such circumstances? Our sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln shared wisdom still relevant for today:

“Intelligence, patriotism, Christianity, and a firm reliance on Him, who has never yet forsaken this favored land, are still competent to adjust in the best way, all our present difficulty [8].”

–Abraham Lincoln

Imagine if:

The intelligence of best-practices was implemented against crime, drugs, homelessness and more—on a grand scale

Patriotic (instead of self-serving) leaders enacted the best policies to benefit the most people

Christian principles, proven to achieve the most profitable results (Psalm 18:30), were embraced and followed by a large majority

Our nation relied firmly upon God for guidance

Such outcomes are within our grasp if we take to heart the advice of these discerning leaders:

“It is necessary for the welfare of the nation that men’s lives be based on the principles of the Bible. No man, educated or uneducated, can afford to be ignorant of the Bible [9].”

—Theodore Roosevelt, twenty-sixth U.S. president

“All must admit that the reception of the teachings of Christ results in the purest patriotism, in the most scrupulous fidelity to public trust, and in the best type of citizenship [10].”

—Grover Cleveland, twenty-second and twenty-fourth U.S. president

“The only means of establishing and perpetuating our republican form of government is the universal education of our youth in the principles of Christianity by means of the Bible [11].”

— Benjamin Rush, signer of the Declaration of Independence

* * * * * * * * * *

I pray, Heavenly Father, we might experience a fifth Great Awakening in America! Pour out your refreshing, purifying Spirit, bringing the hope of Jesus to the millions who don’t know you and are living unaware of your loving care, peace, joy, help, and more.

For those of us who do know you, I pray we may become the purest patriots of YOUR kingdom, eager to serve you in a hurting world.

[1] https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1936?ref=christian-patriotic

[2] https://christianheritagefellowship.com/christian-quotes-from-the-founding-fathers-2/

[3] https://gracequotes.org/author-quote/daniel-webster/

[4] https://lajuett.com/patriotic-religious-quotes.html#:~:text=%22I%20tremble%20for%20my%20country,His%20justice%20cannot%20sleep%20forever.%22&text=%22I%20have%20sworn%20upon%20the,over%20the%20mind%20of%20man.%22

[5] https://www.heritage.org/crime-and-justice/commentary/8-cities-help-explain-national-crime-wave

[6] https://thefulcrum.us/corruption/corruption-perception-index-2023-2667125422

[7] https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2023-11-14/more-than-1-in-6-u-s-adults-teens-have-substance-use-disorder

[8] https://lajuett.com/patriotic-religious-quotes.html#:~:text=%22I%20tremble%20for%20my%20country,His%20justice%20cannot%20sleep%20forever.%22&text=%22I%20have%20sworn%20upon%20the,over%20the%20mind%20of%20man.%22

[9] Ibid.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Ibid.

Art & photo credits: http://www.azquotes.com; http://www.commons.wikimedia.org; http://www.picryl.com; http://www.flickr.com (2), photo of drug addicts by Tim Dennell; http://www.pxhere.com; http://www.flickr.com; http://www.rawpixel.com.

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Mildred Jefferson

Posted in Courage, Excellence, Heroes of the Faith, Perseverance, Service, Uncategorized, tagged Abortion, Citizens for Life, Matthew 25:40, Psalm 139:13-14, Right to Life, Ronald Reagan on September 30, 2021| 34 Comments »

The emergence of Mildred Jefferson’s life purpose can be traced all the way back to her childhood, in the small town of Pittsburg, Texas during the 1930s.

That’s when her fascination of medicine began, under the wing of the local physician who allowed her to tag along on house calls in his horse-drawn carriage.

One day Mildred announced to him, “When I grow up, I’m going to be a doctor too.”

He could have suggested, “A career in nursing might be another good choice, Millie. It’s not a bit fair, but most medical schools will likely turn you down because you’re a girl, and even in these modern times, most doctors are men.” He might also have mentioned the barriers Mildred would face because she was black.

But the doctor encouraged her to work hard toward her dream. So did her mother and father, a teacher and Methodist minister respectively.

Mildred followed their advice and graduated from high school at age 15 and then college at 18, summa cum laude no less. Too young to enter medical school, Mildred earned her master’s degree in biology while she waited.

Against great odds, Mildred was accepted into medical school–at Harvard–and in 1951 became the first African American woman to graduate from the esteemed institution.

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Then she became the first woman to intern at Boston City Hospital and the first female surgeon at Boston University Medical Center, where Mildred eventually served as professor of surgery.

By 1970 the abortion debate had begun to garner much attention. At the time, the American Medical Association was preparing a resolution in favor of abortion rights. Mildred strongly opposed such action, citing the Hippocratic oath and Judeo-Christian values as her defense.

Driven by her strong faith in God and heartfelt patriotism, Mildred began her fight against abortion. She helped found the Massachusetts chapter of Citizens for Life and later co-founded the National Right to Life Committee. Mildred served as president of the latter from 1975-1978.

After forty years of coping with sexism and racism Mildred had developed great strength of character and courage. She did not mince words concerning her conviction that abortion was wrong.

“I became a physician in order to save lives, not to destroy them,” Jefferson said in a 1978 interview. “I will not accept the proposition that the doctor should relinquish the role of healer to become the new social executioner.” [1]

In another interview, Mildred stated: I am at once a physician, a citizen, and a woman, and I am not willing to stand aside and allow the concept of expendable human lives to turn this great land of ours into just another exclusive reservation where only the perfect, the privileged, and the planned have the right to live” (2003, American Feminist Magazine). [2]

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is download-2-2.jpeg — azquotes.com/author/29722-Mildred_Fay_Jefferson

Mildred abhorred the fact that women of color aborted at higher rates than white women. Were there racist motives behind the push to publicly fund abortions? Was a purposeful genocide being committed against blacks? It certainly appeared so.[3]

Mildred asserted: “I would guess that the abortionists have done more to get rid of generations and cripple others than all the years of slavery and lynchings.”[4]

The articulate doctor received invitations to speak all over the country. Her logical arguments and impassioned delivery convinced many people that abortion was immoral.

After a television appearance in 1972, Mildred received the following letter:

“Several years ago I was faced with the issue of whether to sign a California abortion bill. . . . I must confess to never having given the matter of abortion any serious thought until that time. No other issue since I have been in office has caused me to do so much study and soul-searching . . . I wish I could have heard your views before our legislation was passed. You made it irrefutably clear that an abortion is the taking of a human life. I’m grateful to you.”

The letter was signed, Governor Ronald Reagan.[5]

For nearly 40 years Mildred continued to fight for the rights of the unborn as she lived up to Jesus’ statement in Matthew 25:40, that whatever we do for the least of those among us, we do it for him.