Did you know…?
By David Evans
Having traveled to more than 35 countries, I can say without reservation…there is no nation like the United States. Why is that? While our form of government has remained intact for some 230 years, France has gone through 15 different forms of government since 1776. Well, you know what the French are like.
In these days leading up to the celebration of our day of independence, history lessons are very important. OK, so here's a history question: What do Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Dartmouth, William and Mary, Brown and Princeton all have in common? They were all founded by Christians and for the primary purpose of promoting Christianity and training preachers of the Gospel!
Dartmouth was founded "to train missionaries to the Indians." William and Mary College was created "that the Christian faith might be propagated." An early advertisement for Columbia University read: "The chief thing that is aimed at in this college is to teach and engage children to God in Jesus Christ."
In the Declaration of Independence, our founding fathers cited 27 different reasons why we must separate from England. Did you know that one of those reasons was the need for the formation of a missionary society to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ? This missionary society proposal had been vetoed by King George III. And did you know that of the 56 signers of the Declaration, 24 had Seminary degrees?
Did you know that John Quincy Adams was a very strong Christian and co-founder of the American Bible Society? He was a great American and a great example of a "politician" who believed that a man's private beliefs and policy beliefs were one in the same.
Did you know that during the 19th Century, the Capitol Building served as a church building on Sundays with an average of more than 2000 attenders per week? And that the Presidents designated the Marine Corps band to help out by playing for church services every Sunday?
And did you know that of the 15,000 writings by our founding fathers, 34 percent of all quotes were directly from the Bible, and the Bible was the number one source quoted in the founding era?
Well, did you know? Just checking. Have a great Independence Day, and don't forget to thank God for His mighty hand in our history! And don't forget to pray for our nation, our president and our troops.
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This article appears in the June 29, 2006 statewide edition of the Oklahoma Baptist Messenger. David Evans is pastor of Moore, Highland.
