2018 | Week of September 10 | #1272
So did you know this week is officially declared as “Christian Heritage Week” in Wisconsin? If you have school-aged kids in your life, ask them if they have heard about this designated week at school. I’m pretty sure the answer you’ll get is no, which is most unfortunate.
As it turns out, Governor Walker’s office knows this is Christian Heritage Week. In fact, according to what I could find, this is the 27th Annual Christian Heritage Week. Late last month, the governor actually issued a proclamation declaring September 9th through the 15th of this year as Christian Heritage Week in The Badger State. The text of the proclamation is instructive:
“Whereas the Preamble to the Constitution of Wisconsin states that ‘We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom…domestic tranquility…do establish this Constitution,’ and [w]hereas Benjamin Franklin, at the Constitutional Convention in 1787, stated, ‘It is impossible to build an empire without our Father’s aid. I believe the sacred writings which say that ‘Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain (Psalm 127:1)’; and [w]hereas George Washington said, ‘animated alone by the pure spirit of Christianity, and conducting ourselves as the faithful subjects of our free government, we may enjoy ever temporal and spiritual felicity’; and [w]hereas Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, wrote, ‘Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed the conviction that these liberties are a gift from God?’; and [w]hereas James Madison, father of the U.S. Constitution, advocated ‘the diffusion of the light of Christianity in our nation’’ and [w]hereas these, and many other truly great men and women of America, were statesmen of caliber and integrity who did not hesitate to express their faith, now, therefore, I, Scott Walker, Governor of the State of Wisconsin, do hereby proclaim September 9-15, 2018 as Christian Heritage Week throughout the State of Wisconsin and I commend this observance to all of our citizens.”
Obviously, Governor Walker is using quotations from our nations’ founders to show our Christian heritage. Interestingly, two of the four included—Franklin and Jefferson—are among the group of founders most often questioned as to the reality and depth of their commitment to Christianity. Of course these statements support the contention that America does indeed have a strong Christian heritage.
Today’s very secular culture would like to revise that part of our history. Actually, they would like to expunge that part of our history because doing so would make it much easier to advance their liberal, progressive and destructive agenda. Christianity is a real impediment to what they want America to become—a totally humanistic, socialistic, godless mere shell of its original self; and forgetting our history is one of the best ways to ensure we have little to no Christianity in our future.
The antidote to no one knowing about Christian Heritage Week—and more importantly few really knowing the truth about our Christian heritage—is for families to begin instructing their children about our awesome heritage.
For instance, did you know every single state constitution—I’m talking all 50 here—make reference to God or Providence or the Supreme Judge? While it’s true that the US Constitution doesn’t include such a reference, we certainly see those references in the Declaration of Independence. Even a cursory survey of the writings of many of our founders and those following our founders’ era are replete with distinctly Christian references. Consider how many national days of prayer and fasting presidents have called. Reading those proclamations makes it very clear that the nation has a Christian heritage. Certainly rehearsing the story of William Bradford and the 1620 voyage of The Mayflower and The Mayflower Compact beautifully relates our strong Christian foundation—one that is unique to America. No other country was founded in the way and for the reason we were.
With just a little time spent researching online, parents can get some excellent information that will help them teach their children about our Christian heritage. Unless we do this family by family, our Christian heritage will rather quickly be completely forgotten and while annual Christian Heritage Week proclamations may continue, they will be meaningless. Let’s not let that happen. We can ensure it won’t one family at a time.
This is Julaine Appling with Wisconsin Family Council, reminding you the Prophet Hosea said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”
