[Faith-talk] {Spam?} The Bible in America's Memorials

[debby]

This was a very interesting article, Linda. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.

On Oct 26, 2016 3:47 AM, Linda Mentink via Faith-Talk <faith-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> Hi all, 
>
> I enjoyed this article very much, and thought many of you might 
> as well. 
>
> Blessings, 
>
> Linda 
>
>
> THE BIBLE IN AMERICA'S MEMORIALS 
>
> October 26, 2016 (David Cloud, Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 
> 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns at wayoflife.org. 
>
> The following is excerpted from THE BIBLE AND WESTERN SOCIETY. 
> ISBN 978-1-58318-217-8. This is an examination of the Bible's 
> influence on Western Society, particularly England and America. 
> The nine chapters are as follows: 1. The Bible fashioned the 
> English language. 2. The Bible fashioned England. 3. The Bible 
> fashioned America. 4. The Bible produced high moral character. 5. 
> The Bible produced missionary zeal. 6. The Bible produced great 
> concepts of human liberty. 7. The Bible produced great social 
> benevolence. 8. The Bible produced modern science. 9. The Bible 
> produced beautiful music. This book documents the Bible's 
> influence on America's founding fathers, America's founding 
> documents, the American government, the American educational 
> system, America's concept of human liberty, the abolition of 
> slavery, and many other things. There are also chapters on 
> "America a Christian Nation?" and "America in Bible Prophecy." 
>
> ____________ 
>
> The Bible's influence on American history is evident in its 
> memorials. 
>
> References to the Bible and to the God of the Bible are inscribed 
> everywhere on America's founding memorials in Philadelphia, New 
> York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. 
>
> U.S. Capitol Building. Many of the eight large paintings in the 
> rotunda depict America's Christian heritage, including the 
> baptism of the Indian princess Pocahontas and the Virginia 
> charter. One painting depicts Pilgrim leader William Brewster 
> holding an open Bible inscribed with the words, "The New 
> Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." The chapel of the 
> House of Representatives contains an open Bible on an altar in 
> front of a stained glass window depicting George Washington in 
> prayer and the words, "Preserve me, O God, for in Thee do I put 
> my trust" (Psalm 16:1). Behind the Speaker's rostrum in the House 
> of Representatives are the words of the national motto, "In God 
> We Trust." This refers to the God of the Bible. 
>
> The White House. The Adams Prayer Mantel was installed in 1945 by 
> Franklin D. Roosevelt and contains a prayer by John Adams, second 
> president of the United States. "I pray heaven to bestow the best 
> of blessings on this house and on all those that shall hereafter 
> inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this 
> roof." 
>
> Library of Congress. The Library of Congress was completed in 
> 1897 and was named the Thomas Jefferson Building. On the walls 
> are inscribed the following verses: "The light shineth in 
> darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not" (John 1:5);  
> "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom and with 
> all thy getting, get understanding" (Proverbs 4:7);  "What doth 
> the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, 
> and to walk humbly with thy God" (Micah 6:8); "The heavens 
> declare the Glory of God, and the firmament showeth His 
> handiwork" (Psalm 19:1). On permanent display are two Latin 
> Bibles. The Bible was the first book that was printed on a 
> printing press and is the most popular and widely distributed 
> book in human history. One of the Bibles on display at the 
> Library of Congress is an original Gutenberg Bible of 1453, the 
> first printed Bible. Of the 21 complete surviving copies, England 
> and America own 12 of them. 
> The other Bible on display is the Great Bible of Mainz. It was 
> handwritten and dates to 1453. Thus it was completed at the same 
> time that Gutenberg was printing his Bible and is one of the last 
> handwritten Bibles. The Great Bible and the Gutenberg Bible were 
> not only produced at the same time, but also in the same town in 
> Germany. The Mainz Bible represents the countless Bibles that 
> were laboriously handwritten for a millennium and a half, from 
> the time of the apostles until the invention of printing in 1454. 
> The Library of Congress also has a statue of Moses holding the 
> Ten Commandments and a statue of Paul. Above the Paul statue is 
> the Micah 6:8 inscription. 
>
> Supreme Court Building. Above the main entrance are the words 
> "Equal Justice under Law." It is only in Scripture that we find a 
> truly just and equal concept of law. Men were not treated equally 
> under Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Indian, Mayan, or 
> Chinese law. The concept of equality does not come from Hinduism 
> or Buddhism or Islam or ancient pagan idolatry. Consider 
> Hammurabi's law code, which was published by the king of Babylon 
> in about 1780 BC. It is one of the most famous law codes of the 
> ancient pagan world, supposedly received from Hammurabi's sun god 
> Shamash. But Hammurabi's laws were not just and equal. Penalties 
> differed according to the social standing of the victim and 
> perpetrator. In contrast, God's law says. "Ye shall not respect 
> persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the 
> great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the 
> judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring 
> it 
> unto me, and I will hear it" (Deuteronomy 1:17). In front of the 
> Supreme Court building is a statue called "The Authority of Law." 
> The solemn figure is alert and watchful, signifying the necessity 
> for government to enforce law and order. The figure holds a law 
> book and has a sword, signifying punishment of evildoers. This is 
> the concept presented in Romans 13:4, "For he is the minister of 
> God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be 
> afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the 
> minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth 
> evil." Lady Justice holds a scale, meaning that law must be 
> equal, just, true, and honest. She holds a sword, signifying 
> punishment of evil doing. Lady Justice is based on the Roman 
> goddess Justice and the Greek goddess Themis, but the concept of 
> perfect justice goes back to the God of the Bible who is the 
> original holy lawgiver and judge. At the top of the east entrance 
> of the Supreme Court building are images of three lawgivers: 
> Moses of Israel, Confucius of China, and Solon of Greece. Moses 
> is the central and largest figure and holds the tablets of the 
> Ten Commandments. I am not sure what the artist intended, but I 
> can see two important truths in this monument. First, America is 
> not built solely on Scripture, but it is built prominently on 
> Scripture. Second, The centrality of Moses in the monument 
> reminds us that the teaching of the Chinese and Greeks or other 
> ancient pagan people could never have created America. It is the 
> Bible's influence on America that has made it so unique and 
> great. On the wooden doors of the main entrance to the courtroom 
> and on the outer bronze doors are images of the Ten Commandments. 
> The Great Hall of the Supreme Court features images of Moses. 
> There is another image of Moses on the outside of the building. 
> He is inscribed between two lamps, signifying the giving of 
> light. 
>
> Jefferson Memorial. Thomas Jefferson was the author of the 
> Declaration of Independence and America's third president. The 
> memorial features quotations from Jefferson's writings. God, 
> Creator, and creation are mentioned at least eight times.  For 
> example, from the Declaration of Independence are the words, "We 
> hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created 
> equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain 
> inalienable rights, among these are life, liberty and the pursuit 
> of happiness." 
>
> Washington Monument. It memorializes America's foremost founding 
> father, George Washington. Like Washington's writings and 
> speeches, the monument is filled with references to God and the 
> Bible. A Bible is enclosed in a capsule in the monument's 
> cornerstone. (There was also a Bible in the foundation of the 
> 1815 Baltimore Washington Monument, and it was recovered during 
> restoration work in 2015.) Inscribed on the east face of the 
> 6.25-pound aluminum capstone is Laus Deo ("Praise Be to God"). 
> Many of the 36,000 marble and granite stones are inscribed with 
> Bible verses and references to God, such as the following: 
> "Holiness to the Lord" (Exodus 28:26); "Search the Scriptures" 
> (John 5:39); "The memory of the just is blessed" (Proverbs 10:7); 
> "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he 
> will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6). In his address to the 
> governors of the states in 1783, when he resigned as 
> Commander-in-Chief, 
> Washington referred to the "Divine Author of our blessed 
> religion," obviously testifying to his own Christian faith, and 
> he said that the nation cannot be happy unless it obeys Christ's 
> example and precepts. Washington founded the custom of American 
> presidents swearing the oath of office on a Bible. When he ended 
> the oath, he kissed the Bible. Washington proclaimed the nation's 
> first national Thanksgiving day. The goal was to acknowledge 
> "with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God 
> especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to 
> establish a form of government for their safety and happiness." 
>
> National Archives. There is a bronze emblem of the Ten 
> Commandments on the floor. 
>
> Lincoln Memorial. This was built in honor of Abraham Lincoln, 
> America's 16th President (1861-1865). Lincoln promoted the 
> Thirteenth Amendment that outlawed slavery in America. On the 
> wall of the north chamber are the words, "Woe unto the world 
> because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but 
> woe to that man by whom the offense cometh" (Matthew 18:7); and, 
> "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether" 
> (Psalm 19:9). 
>
> National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. This memorial was 
> opened in 1984 and is situated in Judiciary Square, which is the 
> location of five American courts. The memorial contains the names 
> of law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty, 
> currently standing at more than 20,000. One of the quotations 
> inscribed on the monument is Proverbs 28:1, "The wicked flee when 
> no man pursueth but the righteous are bold as a lion." There are 
> also quotes by the pagan Roman leader Tacitus and others. The 
> fact that the Bible is not the only book quoted at the monument 
> reminds us that America is not strictly and only a biblical or 
> Christian nation. There is a strong and unique Biblical 
> influence, but there have been other strong influences even from 
> its inception. 
>
> E. Barrett Prettyman United States Court House. In front of the 
> building, which was completed in 1952, is a monument depicting 
> freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of press. 
> Freedom of press is signified by a book being printed on a 
> Gutenberg type press. Freedom of speech is signified by a man 
> giving a speech and a crowd listening to him. Freedom of religion 
> is signified by a male worshiper facing a Cross and the Ten 
> Commandments, and a woman praying over her food. The Ten 
> Commandments are inscribed with Hebrew words. 
>
> Union Station. The Union railway station in Washington, D.C., was 
> opened in 1907. Though it isn't a government building, it is an 
> illustration of the Bible's great influence on American society 
> even in the early 20th century. During World War II, 200,000 
> people passed through the station every day, and it is still one 
> of America's busiest stations. Three Bible verses are inscribed 
> above the south entrance, which is the entrance facing the 
> direction of the Supreme Court and the U.S. Capitol. The verses 
> are John 14:6, "The truth shall make you free"; Psalm 8:6, "Thou 
> hast put all things under his feet"; and Isaiah 35:1, "The desert 
> shall rejoice and blossom as the rose." 
>
> Daughters of the American Revolution building. A statue of George 
> Washington is inscribed with "Remove not the ancient landmark 
> which thy fathers have set" (Proverbs 22:28). 
>
> Federal Hall in New York City. The George Washington statue in 
> front of Federal Hall also features the religious side of the 
> nation's founder. New York was America's capital before it moved 
> to Washington D.C., and Washington took the oath of office as 
> president on the balcony of Federal Hall. Near the statue and 
> associated with it is an engraving of Washington in prayer. He is 
> depicted on his knees in the famous prayer scene at Valley Forge 
> when the situation for the fledgling nation was so desperate. 
> Earlier in these studies, we have given the evidence for this 
> prayer scene. 
>
>
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