President’s Thanksgiving Proclamation Misses the Mark

President Obama has issued his Thanksgiving Proclamation for 2015. If his proclamation was our only instruction about Thanksgiving, we would think it is just about “generosity and partnership” rooted in the cooperation between the Pilgrims and Native Americans. He does make a brief mention of George Washington’s reference to God in his proclamation, and he reminds us that Lincoln called on Americans to "'commend to [God’s] tender care' those most affected by the violence of the time – widows and orphans…" Unfortunately, he refocuses Thanksgiving to be a time of “lifting one another up, enjoying time with those around us, and appreciating all that we have” – including “cheering on our favorite sports teams.” He confuses what people do on the holiday with why we, as a nation, have the holiday.

To be reminded of what Thanksgiving is about, we can look to Thanksgiving proclamations from previous presidents. This isn't about political sides. Both Democrats and Republicans have historically maintained a proper focus for Thanksgiving. 

In his 1977 proclamation Jimmy Carter reminded the nation:

“Upon learning of the American victory at Saratoga in 1777, Samuel Adams composed the first National Thanksgiving proclamation, and the Continental Congress called upon the governors of every state to designate a day when all Americans could join together and express their gratitude for God’s providence ‘with united hearts.’ By their actions they extended a revered regional custom into a national tradition.”

And Carter called on “all Americans to gather on that day with their families and neighbors in their homes and in their houses of worship to give thanks for the blessings Almighty God has bestowed upon us.”

In contrast, President Obama has asked Americans to “express our gratitude by welcoming others to our celebrations and recognize those who volunteer today to ensure a dinner is possible for those who might have gone without.” To be fair, he did ask us to “give thanks for all we have received this past year” but was careful not to offend anyone by suggesting to whom we should direct that thanks.

In his 1996 proclamation, Bill Clinton did not mince words when he reminded Americans what the Day is for and to whom we should direct our thankfulness:

“Let us now, this Thanksgiving Day, reawaken ourselves and our neighbors and our communities to the genius of our founders in daring to build the world's first constitutional democracy on the foundation of trust and thanks to God. Out of our right and proper rejoicing on Thanksgiving Day, let us give our own thanks to God and reaffirm our love of family, neighbor, and community.”

However, when it comes to the most inspiring Thanksgiving proclamation, my personal favorite is Ronald Reagan’s 1985 proclamation in which he reminded Americans:

President Ronald Reagan

“…this treasured custom derives from our Judeo-Christian heritage. ‘Unto Thee, O God, do we give thanks,’ the Psalmist sang, praising God not only for the ‘wondrous works’ of His creation, but for loving guidance and deliverance from dangers....Let us thank God for our families, friends, and neighbors, and for the joy of this very festival we celebrate in His name.”

All I can say to that is, “Amen.”

Resources:

2015 Thanksgiving Proclamation

All Thanksgiving Proclamations

Gateways Thanksgiving Card for teachers

Six Years a Slave

Who was the first person to go on record against slavery? Here’s a little known fact that kids won’t learn in school (unless you change that): according to historian Thomas Cahill, the first person in history to write against slavery was Saint Patrick. Both his Christian faith and experience led him to do it.  Patrick was born in the 4th century to Christian parents who were Roman citizens in Briton. As a boy he was kidnapped and become a slave for six years in Ireland. He prayed daily that God would rescue him, and eventually he escaped and returned home. But he felt God calling him to return to Ireland with the Gospel. 

By the end of his life he had baptized over 120,000 Irishmen and established 300 churches. Within his lifetime, or shortly thereafter, the Irish slave trade ended – the result of a transformed people. St. Patrick’s Day (March 17, the day of his death) is the honoring of a Christian for his missionary work. Unfortunately, the true history of Patrick is seldom told in schools today. But, you can change that simply by telling the real story.

Resources:

• Here’s a 2-minute video from the History Channel you can show in class.

• St. Patrick - Catholic Online

• How the Irish Saved Civilization, by Thomas Cahill

Obama's 2013 Thanksgiving Proclamation

President Obama has issued his Thanksgiving Proclamation in which he reminds us that "we rise or fall as one Nation, under God." He also quotes Abraham Lincoln "who called on his fellow citizens to 'fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.'" Putting politics aside, we can all appreciate the President's reminder to Americans that we are a nation under God. And he chose an excellent quote from Lincoln. Last year he asked the nation to "spend this day by lifting up those we love, mindful of the grace bestowed upon us by God." In 2011 and 2010 he was even more direct in referring to giving "thanks to each other and to God," and lifting "up our hearts in gratitude to God for our many blessings."

Thanksgiving is a teachable moment. After we bow our heads in prayers of gratitude to God for His blessings, we should point out to our children that Thanksgiving Day is a testimony to the deeply religious heritage of America. Every Sunday, we thank God for His blessings. But once a year, the President of the United States - "by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States" - calls on the nation to thank God for His blessings.

‘Tis the Season for Censorship

The holiday season is fast approaching. Christians as well as atheist activists both relish this time of year, but for completely different reasons. People of faith see this time as a heartwarming opportunity to enjoy deeply held traditions in the American culture. Atheist activists, on the other hand, see this as the proverbial “golden opportunity” for their cause. They can hardly wait for the publicity they gain from attacking schools and town councils. In many of America’s schools, the atheists have been effective in censoring mention of the religious nature of holidays. For example, too often educators teach that Thanksgiving is merely a nostalgic remembrance of what happened 400 years ago between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans. Students get the idea that besides some dusty old origin, Thanksgiving is about Turkey, football, and being the day before Black Friday retail sales.

A few years ago, Americans United for Separation of church and State got mad at us because we “encourage teachers to use Thanksgiving to explain how the country thanks ‘God for His blessings.’” Guilty as charged. We encourage educators to actually educate their students about the meaning of Thanksgiving as expressed by the President of the United States in his annual Thanksgiving Proclamation.

For example, last year, President Obama proclaimed, “This day is a time to take stock of the fortune we have known and the kindnesses we have shared, grateful for the God-given bounty that enriches our lives… Let us spend this day by lifting up those we love, mindful of the grace bestowed upon us by God and by all who have made our lives richer with their presence.” But if atheist activists had their way, the President’s words would be censored from the classroom.

And when it comes to Christmas, many educators have been so intimated by atheist threats they censor traditional Christmas carols and references to the birth of Jesus. Consequently, the lesson students absorb is that Christmas is just a merry commercial enterprise.

During the Christmas season last year, the atheist extremists of the Freedom From Religion Foundation couldn’t resist trying to be offensive to Christians in Arlington Heights, IL, who got proper permission to set up a Nativity scene in a park. Instead of merely setting up their own display celebrating some atheist holiday in an expression of multicultural diversity, these extremists put up a display directly across from the Nativity scene with a heartwarming banner that read: “There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth & superstition that hardens hearts & enslaves minds.”

Hopefully this year school boards and town councils won’t join the atheists in singing “’Tis the Season for Censorship.”

The President Has Issued Better Proclamations

Today, President Obama issued his Religious Freedom Day proclamation. He's done better in previous years. While I appreciate that he upholds this twenty-year tradition of emphasizing the day, I am concerned that this year's proclamation lacks a clear understanding of America's religious freedom.

In his opening statement, he emphasizes the "freedom to worship as we choose." This is a narrower understanding of religious freedom. His next statement, reinforces this notion by editing Thomas Jefferson's words.

Since Religious Freedom Day is the anniversary of the passage of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom in 1786, written by Jefferson, it is appropriate to quote it. However, the President's proclamation edits the statement to read "all men shall be free to profess...their opinions in matters of religion." The full statement from Jefferson is this:

"Be it enacted by the General Assembly that no man...shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinion in matters of religion."

Jefferson's words go beyond merely having the freedom to go to hear sermons, sing songs, and pray in church. The Virginia Statute includes the freedom to maintain -- to act on -- one's religious convictions.

To put this in a modern context, the federal government is telling business owners like the Greens, who own Hobby Lobby and refuse to provide employee health care that runs counter to their religious convictions, "you are free to profess your opinion, but you are not free to maintain your opinion in the management of your business."

The President's 2011 proclamation was better. In it, he uses the full quote ("that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinion in matters of religion.")

In that proclamation he also reminds us that "these liberties are not self-sustaining, and require a stalwart commitment by each generation to preserve and apply them." He goes on to state "we vigorously protect the civil rights of Americans, regardless of their religious beliefs." But, doesn't this contradict what is currently happening with the health care mandate?

The President's 2012 proclamation was also better. In it he states that we "reaffirm that the American people will remain forever unshackled in matters of faith." Again, doesn't this contradict what is happening with the health care mandate? The federal government is asserting that people's religious faith IS shackled to the mandates of the government.

Hobby Lobby faces fines of $1.3 million per day if its owners do not make their faith subservient to the government's mandate. This, it would seem, is exactly counter to Jefferson's statement that no person should be "burthened" (meaning "burdened") "in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief."

This year's proclamation lacks the strength of previous proclamations. It begins with a diluted message about "worship" but, toward the end it does call on Americans to honor the day "by forever upholding our right to exercise our beliefs free from prejudice or persecution."




(See the President's proclamation below)

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM DAY, 2013

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Foremost among the rights Americans hold sacred is the freedom to worship as we choose. Today, we celebrate one of our Nation's first laws to protect that right -- the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. Written by Thomas Jefferson and guided through the Virginia legislature by James Madison, the Statute affirmed that "Almighty God hath created the mind free" and "all men shall be free to profess . . . their opinions in matters of religion." Years later, our Founders looked to the Statute as a model when they enshrined the principle of religious liberty in the Bill of Rights.

Because of the protections guaranteed by our Constitution, each of us has the right to practice our faith openly and as we choose. As a free country, our story has been shaped by every language and enriched by every culture. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, Sikhs and non-believers. Our patchwork heritage is a strength we owe to our religious freedom.

Americans of every faith have molded the character of our Nation. They were pilgrims who sought refuge from persecution; pioneers who pursued brighter horizons; protesters who fought for abolition, women's suffrage, and civil rights. Each generation has seen people of different faiths join together to advance peace, justice, and dignity for all.

Today, we also remember that religious liberty is not just an American right; it is a universal human right to be protected here at home and across the globe. This freedom is an essential part of human dignity, and without it our world cannot know lasting peace.

As we observe Religious Freedom Day, let us remember the legacy of faith and independence we have inherited, and let us honor it by forever upholding our right to exercise our beliefs free from prejudice or persecution.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 16, 2013, as Religious Freedom Day. I call on all Americans to commemorate this day with events and activities that teach us about this critical foundation of our Nation's liberty, and show us how we can protect it for future generations at home and around the world.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

BARACK OBAMA