American Minute with Bill Federer
Presidents mention God in Inaugural Addresses
|
|
"Our history is replete with
official references to the value
and
invocation of Divine guidance
in ...
official announcements of Presidents." - Chief Justice Warren E. Burger,
Lynch v Donnelly,
1984.
"Prayer
has become
part of our heritage ... p
art of our expressive idiom, similar to the Pledge of Allegiance (or)
Inaugural Prayer." - Justice Anthony Kennedy,
Town of Greece v. Galloway,
May 5, 2014.
|
|
U.S. Presidents
have consistently acknowledged
God
in their
Inaugural Addresses.
Presidential Inaugurations
were originally on March 4th, but beginning in 1933, the 20th Amendment moved the date to
JANUARY 20th.
|
|
The 32nd President
Franklin Roosevelt
mentioned in his INAUGURAL, January 20, 1945:
"As I stand here today, having taken the solemn oath of office in the presence of my fellow countrymen -- in the presence of
God
-- I know that it is America's purpose that we shall not fail ...
The
Almighty Go
d has blessed our land in many ways.
He
has given our people stout hearts and strong arms with which to strike mighty blows for freedom and truth.
He
has given to our country a faith which has become the hope of all peoples in an anguished world.
So we pray to
Him
now for the vision to see our way clearly -- to see the way that leads to a better life for ourselves and for all our fellow men -- to the achievement of
His will,
to peace on earth."
|
|
The 33rd President
Harry S Truman
stated in his INAUGURAL, January 20, 1949:
"In performing the duties of my office, I need the help and the p
rayers
of every one of you ...
The American people stand firm in the
faith
which has inspired this Nation from the beginning ...
We believe that all men are created equal because they are created in
the image of God.
From this
faith
we will not be moved ...
People everywhere are coming to realize that what is involved is material well-being, human dignity, and the right to believe in and worship
God
...
We are aided by all who desire freedom of speech,
freedom of religion,
and freedom to live their own lives for useful ends. Our allies are the millions who
hunger and thirst after righteousness
(Matthew 5:6) ...
Steadfast in our
faith
in the
Almighty,
we will advance toward a world, where man's freedom is secure ...
With
God's
help the future of mankind will be assured in a world of justice, harmony, and peace."
|
|
The 34th President
Dwight Eisenhowe
r stated in his INAUGURAL, January 20, 1953, -- the first Inaugural to be televised:
"Before I begin ... would you permit me the privilege of uttering a little private
prayer
of my own. And I ask that you bow your heads.
Almighty God,
as we stand here ... beseeching that
Thou
will make full and complete our dedication ...
Give us, we
pray,
the power to discern clearly right from wrong and allow all our words and actions to be governed thereby ...
Especially we
pray
that our concern shall be for all the people regardless of station, race, or calling.
May cooperation ... be the mutual aim of those who ... hold to differing political faiths; so that all may work for the good of our beloved country and
Thy glory.
Amen ...
We are summoned ... to witness more than the act of one citizen swearing his oath of service,
in the presence of God.
We are called as a people to give testimony in the sight of the world our
faith
that the future shall belong to the free...
We find ourselves groping to know the full sense and meaning of these times in which we live. In our quest of understanding, we beseech
God's guidance ...
|
|
... We who are free must proclaim anew our
faith.
This
faith
in America ... governed by
eternal moral
and natural laws.
This
faith
defines our full view of life. It establishes beyond debate, those
gifts of the Creator
that are man's inalienable rights, and that makes all men equal in
His sight ...
This
faith
rules our whole way of life. It decrees that we, the people, elect leaders not to rule but to serve ... a conscious renewal of
faith
in our country and in the watchfulness of a
Divine Providence.
The enemies of this
faith
know no god but force ... They tutor men in treason. They feed upon the hunger of others. Whatever defies them, they torture, especially the truth ...
Love of liberty means the guarding of every resource that makes freedom possible -- from the sanctity of our families and the wealth of our soil to the genius our scientists ...
This is the work that awaits us all, to be done with bravery, with charity, and with
prayer to Almighty God."
|
|
The 35th President
John F. Kennedy
stated in his INAUGURAL, January 20, 1961:
"For I have sworn before you and
Almighty God,
the same solemn oath our forbears prescribed nearly a century and three quarters ago.
The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life.
And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe -- The belief that
the rights of man
come
not from the generosity of the state but
from the hand of God."
|
|
The 36th President
Lyndon B. Johnson
stated in his INAUGURAL, January 20, 1965:
"We have no promise from
God
that our greatness will endure ...
If we fail now, we shall have forgotten ... that
the judgment of God
is harshest on those who are most favored."
|
|
The 37th President
Richard Nixon
stated in his INAUGURAL, January 20, 1969:
"As all are born equal in dignity before
God,
all are born equal in dignity before man."
|
|
The 38th President
Gerald Ford
stated upon assuming office, August 9, 1974:
"I am acutely aware that you have not elected me as your President by your ballots, and so I ask you to confirm me as your President with
your prayers ...
I now solemnly reaffirm my promise ... to uphold the Constitution, to do what is right as
God
gives me to see the right."
|
|
The 39th President
Jimmy Carter
stated in his INAUGURAL, January 20, 1977:
"'What does the
Lord
require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy
God.'"
|
|
The 40th President
Ronald Reagan
stated in his INAUGURAL, January 20, 1981:
"We are
a nation under God ...
It would be fitting ... I think, if on each Inauguration Day in future years it should be declared
a day of prayer ...
With
God's help,
we can and will resolve the problems which now confront us. And after all, why shouldn't we believe that? We are Americans."
|
|
The 41st President
George H.W. Bush
stated in his INAUGURAL, January 20, 1989:
"Heavenly Father,
we bow our heads and thank
You
for
Your love ...
Make us strong to do
Your work,
willing to heed and hear
Your will ...
And if our flaws are endless,
God's love
is truly boundless ...
God bless you
and
God bless the United States of America."
|
|
The 42nd President
Bill Clinton
stated in his INAUGURAL, January 20, 1993:
"The
Scripture
says, 'And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season, we shall reap, if we faint not' ...
With
God's help,
we must answer the call. Thank you and
God bless you."
|
|
The 43rd President
George W. Bush
stated in his INAUGURAL, January 20, 2001:
"I will work to build a single nation of justice and opportunity. I know this is within our reach, because we are guided by
a Power
larger than ourselves,
Who creates us equal in His image."
|
|
The 44th President
Barack H. Obama
stated in his INAUGURAL, January 20, 2009:
"The time has come to reaffirm ... the
God-given promise
that all are equal ...
This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that
God
calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny ...
With eyes fixed on the horizon and
God's grace
upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
Thank you.
God bless you.
And
God bless the United States of America."
|
|
The 45th President
Donald J. Trump
stated in his INAUGURAL, January 20, 2017:
"We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones -- and unite the civilized world against Radical Islamic Terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth ...
The bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other.
When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice. The
Bible
tells us, 'How good and pleasant it is when
God's people
live together in unity' ...
|
|
... There should be no fear - we are protected, and we will always be protected.
We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement and, most importantly, we are
protected by God ...
A new national pride will stir our souls, lift our sights, and heal our divisions.
It is time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget: that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots, we all enjoy the same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great American Flag.
And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with
the breath of life by the same Almighty Creator ...
Yes, Together, We Will Make America Great Again. Thank you,
God Bless You, And God Bless America."
|
|
Schedule Bill Federer for informative interviews & captivating PowerPoint presentations: 314-502-8924
wjfederer@gmail.com
American Minute is a registered trademark of William J. Federer. Permission is granted to forward, reprint, or duplicate, with acknowledgment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|