Corvallis, MT - The American Legion pledge to
service “For God and Country,” has continuously emphasized the spiritual
foundations of our Freedom.
To
preserve this Freedom, we must continue to hold before the American people the
spiritual foundations of our Country. We must reaffirm our faith in Almighty God
and constantly rekindle that spirit of humble reliance on Divine Guidance which
inspired the Founders of our Country. It behooves us as a Nation to arm our
people in time of peril with the ageless weapons of moral and spiritual might
and to uphold and preserve, unimpaired, the spiritual heritage of America.
The
Providence of God was ever in the mind of those who laid the foundation of our
Nation. Our Nation’s security was not placed in any one individual, in classes
of people or mortal plans, but was based on trust in God and in the individual
responsibility of a free people to God and to all citizens. The Founders of The
American Legion knew that God and Country must go together, if our Country
would remain great and permanent. Such is still the concept of those who guide
the destiny of our organization.
“Service
to God and Country”
Our Background
A
spiritual emphasis, under one name or another, has long been a part of The
American Legion activities. Various Posts and Departments through the years
have felt the need to emphasize our religious heritage and have conducted
various programs along this line. As the realization of the importance of the
emphasis grew in Posts and Departments, the need for organization at a national
level was felt. In 1950, this endeavor was crystallized into a religious
program though which all Americans were urged to seek Divine Guidance in their
everyday activities. This led to a National Convention mandate in Miami,
Florida in 1951, which authorized a “Back to God” program as a continuing
American Legion activity. This program, under the direction of the National
Chaplain, continued until 1963, when a National Convention action in Miami
Beach, Florida, changed the designation of the program to “Service to God and
Country.”
Our Heritage
“Service
to God and Country” is the basic Americanism. It is not a fostering of
religious worship in order to appease any element of our citizenry or to draw
attention from less desirable social activities. Since it is essentially basic Americanism,
it is strictly non-denominational, non-sectarian. It is not intended to act
independently of religious groups but to cooperate with them to the end that
the American people might never forget that God is the source of all their
rights and privileges.
Let
us recall a scene from the Constitutional Convention that met in Independence
Hall in Philadelphia in 1787. Benjamin Franklin, the oldest member of the
group, was making one of the greatest speeches of his lifetime. He was saying,
“I have lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing
proofs I see of this truth; that God governs in the affairs of men…We have been
assured, sir, in the sacred writings, that ‘except the Lord build the House,
they labor in vain that built it’.” “I firmly believe this,” said Franklin,
“and also I believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this
political building no better than the builders of Babel.”
It
is this same observation that has caused the great American Legion to reemphasize
the spiritual foundations upon which our Nation rests. For this is the day when
Americans must be spiritually strong, if America is to live. It is the aim and
objective of this American Legion program, “Service to God and Country,” to
bring God to the foreground in American life, not merely the religious life,
but the social, economical and political life as well. God is an essential part
of Americanism. Without God, there is no
Americanism.
The Need for
“God and Country”
In
the beginning of our Nation’s history, when it was still a colony of England,
America covenanted with God in a unique sense, and later, when the Republic was
born, God was recognized as the source of all fundamental rights. Since its
very beginning, America has recognized God’s purposes as standing above the
Nation and the Nation’s interests. The highest role a Nation can play is to
reflect God’s righteousness in national policy and to promote God’s purposes in
all of life’s relationships. The greatest and most significant heritage of our
Country has been its spiritual heritage, our religious heritage. Apart from
faith in God, American history has no meaning. In this faith our institutions
were created, our laws enacted, and our liberties secured. To safeguard America
today, that same dynamic force of religion must prevail in our political,
social and economic life. Our aim must be the same as that of our Country’s
Founders, that religion must permeate every phase of living. Individuals belong
to God alone, their purpose in life is to enhance God’s glory and do God’s
will.
Deploring
the extent to which moral and spiritual values have been marked down in recent
years, and at the same time recognizing our dependence upon Almighty God, The
American Legion is continuing a nationwide effort to bring all Americans closer
to the Creator, who so bountifully blessed this country.
The Objectives
In
order to present the program, “Service to God and Country,” on a practical
basis, The American Legion has divided it into two parts: “Service to God” and
“Service to Country”
In
order to establish this program as a real activity of The American Legion, it
must be carried on as an activity of the individual local Post. As any other
program, projected on a National or Department level, “Service to God and
Country” will be of little value unless it produces activity in the Posts where
it reaches the Legionnaires and the people of the community. Without the
cooperation of the local Posts, it will not accomplish the purpose of bringing
the American people to realize the fact of their Creator and God’s place in the
life of the Nation.
Service
to God
By
this spiritual objective, it is felt that the program can continue to be a
really practical movement in fulfilling our “Service To God and Country.” In this
program, all faiths can walk side by side.
Regular Public
Worship
Many
Americans who feel in their hearts the existence of a God, still reject or
neglect public worship of that God. Freedom of religion is not freedom from
religion. The American Legion believes that one important aid to fulfilling
one’s duty of “Service to God and Country” is regular public worship.
Therefore, it seeks to encourage all families to give regular public adoration
of their God. It feels that in so doing, they will be lifted into a closer
relationship with their God and that the family ties will be strengthened.
Regular participation in Divine Worship can provide the spiritual strength to
counteract the daily temptations of greed, lust, hate, selfishness, anger and
conceit that beset everyone continuously. It is for these reasons, The American
Legion gives emphasis to regular attendance at public worship as its first
spiritual objective.
The
movement of The American Legion is not religion itself, for that is a personal
relationship between an individual and his/her God. However, the objectives of
organized religion in this instance and those of Americanism coincide. Thus,
The American Legion and the organized religious bodies walk side by side in
promoting the public worship of God, the author of all rights and liberties.
Daily Family
Prayer
The
American Legion’s second spiritual objective in “Service to God and Country” is
daily family prayers in the home. It has been said that “the family that prays
together, stays together.” This is more than poetry. If a family is so humble,
so united as a team and so devoted to each other, that it can pray to God as a
unit each day, then, that family is very strong in spirit, and the knot that
binds is very tight. This is important because the family is the basic unit of
society, in fact, it is the only natural unit of society. Through the practice
of family prayer, there is developed a partnership of faith and hope, tolerance
and mutual love which sustains and keeps the family together.
The
American Legion could render no greater service than to make mothers and
fathers conscious of the need and help of the family altar or family prayers in
the home. There can never be in America the kind of homes it ought to have, if
the family worship is neglected. Nothing contributes more effectively to
spiritual enrichment of family life than the habit of regular family prayer and
reading the Sacred Writings in the home.
Religious
Training of Children
The
third spiritual objective of the “Service to God and Country” program goes hand
in hand with the second. It is the religious training of children. The child,
who is made aware of God and is trained in the principles of their faith, will
grow to appreciate, understand and respect more fully such principles as law,
government and justice. If children today do not become imbued with the truth
of the Supreme Authority (God), then they cannot be expected to seek God’s
Divine Counsel and Guidance throughout life.
“It’s
hard to believe in God if your parents don’t,” wrote a seventh grade boy. This
has a negative thrust. Parents need direction and not condemnation. Parents who
pride themselves on being conscientious parents will seek to provide that kind
of religious training for their children. The tie of secularism must be stopped
and parents must assume a positive role in providing the family with important
tools with which to meet the future.
Legionnaires
are called upon to help parents become more aware of their responsibility.
While youth need to be taught the knowledge that is rightfully theirs through
the inheritance of the human race; while they need to be taught how to use this
knowledge in the thinking process of their day. They need to be helped to
master his skills and tools that will give them their daily bread. The greatest
honor and opportunity of parents is the production in the individual the
qualities that will give them character to take the place among the masses.
This can best be accomplished through religious training.
Service
to Country
“Service
to God and Country” embraces every aspect of our American way of life. Not only
must we prevent the spiritual decay of America, but we must also charge our
citizens with a spirit of positive Americanism with respect for law, reverence
for authority and awareness of our human rights and freedoms. The Legionnaire
by his/her service to our Country is involved as an individual with the
Community and the Nation.
Individual
Our
purpose is to inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the Community,
State and Nation which sets us apart as men and women of service. Service
should be the keynote of every member of The American Legion. It means being an
example of honest, faithful and diligent service to the whole Community, not
just to our own family, house of worship or Post, but to all. None of us can do
everything, but each one of us can be of service. We can start with
strengthening ourselves as individuals morally, spiritually, mentally, and
physically.
Citizenship
imposes responsibility. President Kennedy stated this well when he said, “Ask
not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” As
a citizen, every Legionnaire should provide an example of integrity,
self-sacrifice, hard work, and a life of faith.
Community
Our
devotion to mutual helpfulness binds us in Service to Community. No individual
is an island. We live with and among others. Each of us is an integral part of
the Community. The task of every member of The American Legion and of every
Post is twofold. First, to make the Community a decent place in which to live.
Second, service to the whole Community. The American Legion can be of service
to such special groups as the handicapped and the mentally ill. Often, these
are neglected people that the public welfare agencies cannot equally help.
In
service to Community, the training of youth and the preparation of young
Americans to take up tomorrow’s responsibilities are of vital concern to The
American Legion. We must do our part to give to our youth the sense of
responsibility that will provide strength of character and direction. This
program emphasizes:
1)
The moral and spiritual values in our basic American documents;
2)
Renewed interest in our Country’s history and the things which made it great;
3)
The acceptance of responsibilities as well as rights of citizenship;
4)
The spirit of love and service for God and Country;
5)
Self-discipline and self-reliance, thrift and industry, and the ideals of
loyalty, honesty and personal responsibility;
6)
The raising of the level of youth physical fitness; and
7)
Cooperation with other agencies to eliminate juvenile delinquency and school
drop-outs.
Nation
One
of the primary objectives of The American Legion is Service to the Nation. Our
obligation to uphold and defend the Constitution and to foster and perpetuate
Americanism, makes this objective mandatory.
Society
is in a constant process of change. We must work together with the society in
which we live and seek to bring about conditions that make the fullest possible
life for each individual.
A
new day of opportunity has dawned. There is every reason to hope that the human
race will develop the political structure necessary to make possible humanity’s
survival. For this, The American Legion must hope and work.
Conclusion
The
foregoing is an explanation of the “Service to God and Country” program of The
American Legion. It will be helpful to everyone who is interested in the
promotion of this great project. The explanation of the essentials of this
program was done so that others may have an understanding of the movement. Many
things considered explanatory or illustrative have been purposely omitted,
since it is felt that, with a clear understanding of essentials, others may
better explain and illustrate the program to the great public of the United
States who must be reached if the objective of the “Service to God and Country”
program is to be realized. “A Nation that walks with God need fear no one.”
If
you agree with this American Legion national program or would like to find out
more information, please join your fellow veterans at the weekly “Push Back
with Prayer” breakfast Monday mornings 0700, at BJ’s Family Restaurant in
Hamilton.
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