National Chairman's Letter

Platform - Christian Heritage

April 2003

Dear Independent American friends,

I desire to comment on the Christian Heritage section of our IAP National Platform. The first belief point of the Introduction section of our Platform says:

1. [Christian Heritage] We believe that Jesus Christ is the God of this land; that we are fundamentally a Christian nation; and that only by faith in and obedience to God shall we be preserved as a great nation.

That's a pretty bold statement for a political party. A few have accused us of "excluding" Jews (not to mention members of other religions) from our party. But we are not excluding non-Christians. Rather, we are recognizing the prominent religious influence in our culture. In Israel, about 80% of the population is Jewish, 15% Muslim, and 5% of other faiths. Yet, we properly refer to Israel as a Jewish nation. Likewise, in America, where the ratio of Christians to Jews is 98 to 2, it is appropriate that we consider ourselves a Christian nation. (Nonetheless, the phrase "Judeo-Christian" is twice used in the Preamble section of our Platform.)

Christian Heritage, the first numbered section of our Platform, which includes the subtopics God, Christian Nation, and Paganism, begins:

1. CHRISTIAN HERITAGE

God. We honor and recognize the Creator as the giver of our rights and liberties (Declaration of Independence). We believe that to maintain freedom, our political institutions must be founded upon faith in God and upon moral law. (John Adams, Thomas Jefferson)

We believe that religion is basic to good government. We believe in keeping religion in government, while keeping government out of religion.

We affirm that the Constitution makes no reference to "separation of church and state." We support the original meaning and intent of Jefferson's separation of church and state, which prohibits the government from establishing a national religion (e.g., Church of the U.S.), and prohibits government intrusion into religion. We maintain that government has violated both intents by its nationwide promotion of Secular Humanism (declared by court decree as a religion), and by court decisions which limit the free exercise of religion.

We believe that the US Supreme Court twisted the intent and meaning of the First Amendment as a pretext for banning school prayers in the 1960s, followed by school bans on Bible study, posting of the Ten Commandments, nativity scenes by elementary schoolers, Christian songs in Christmas programs, high school graduation prayers, and maybe now the Pledge of Allegiance.

We fully support the first official Presidential Proclamation issued in the United States: "...it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will... that we may unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations... [and] to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue..." (George Washington, October 3, 1789).

As that applies to our nation, we strongly believe that it applies to our party as well -- to acknowledge God! -- as we seek to influence the direction of our nation.

Christian Nation. We acknowledge that America is historically and demographically a Christian nation tolerant of all religions. We hold that deeming our Constitution as a Christian and religious document is the strongest defense in preserving all God-given and Constitutional rights, and the rights of all religions.

We believe the First Amendment protects the right to publicly acknowledge God, pray, read the Bible, display the Ten Commandments, etc. in all public buildings, and to freely exercise our various religions, without government interference.

We recognize the Bible (America's first school textbook) as the primary source of principles upon which our laws and Constitution are founded.

We fully support our national motto "IN GOD WE TRUST" and oppose any efforts to remove it from our coins and currency. We oppose removing the name God, or references to Him, from buildings, songs, historical documents, or from the Pledge of Allegiance.

Patrick Henry said: "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ! For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity and freedom of worship here."

Our Christianity is reflected in the symbols of America. US coins are inscribed with the words, "Liberty" and "In God we trust." The cap of the Washington Monument has the phrase, "Praise be to God." The Great Seal of the US has two phrases, "God has smiled on our undertaking" and "This nation under God." Our Pledge of Allegiance declares we are "one nation, under God."

Contrary to the desires of the multi-culturalists who would diversify our culture, stifle our Christian heritage, and destroy our way of life, America truly was founded as a Christian nation. And most Americans still embrace that heritage today.

Paganism. We oppose Secular Humanism, paganism and Satan worship, not in terms of freedom of speech, nor as an attack on religious beliefs, but in terms of the ultimate negative impact upon families, communities, the survival of our Nation, and the erosion of those principles and values which have made this Country great.

The IAP aims to promote Christian values in education, the media, and in public life. It is obvious we are not trying to attract just everyone. If we were to lower our principles to appeal to pagans, die-hard liberals and everyone else, we would have the angels of the devil who were cast out of heaven clamoring to join our party.

The scriptures say: "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Corinthians 3:17). "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" (Psalms 33:12). "Righteousness exalteth a nation" (Proverbs 14:34). These alone present the importance of God in our nation, society and party.

The scriptures also say, "If my people which are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14).

For God, Family and Country!

Bruce Bangerter
IAP National Chairman