Dear Mr. President,
While it is true that you are accountable to us, the American people, we are not your source of ultimate accountability.
While it is true that you must answer to the Congress of the United States, you must one day answer to someone of far greater consequence.
While you consult with leaders from around the world, our hope is that you will not forget to consult with the Creator of this world.
As the great king Nebuchadnezzar was once reminded, “The Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms and gives them to anyone he wishes.”
So your leadership, like all leadership, is a stewardship. It is temporary. And you are accountable.
Sincerely,
Andy
Hello Andy,
I wanted to write you a small note and tell you that I appreciate your words to the next president. I currently serve as a worship pastor. It was good to be reminded that my leadership ability is a stewardship, a gift from God, that will one day pass. As a young leader it seems so easy to get lost in the small details of leadership and miss this bigger picture of God's sovereign plan at work. Leading from within this shadow of God's sovereign plan helps my heart and mind sink deeper into a fresh awareness of my temporal and fragile ability and my desperate dependance upon God, moment by moment!
Thanks,
-Aaron
Andy-
I appreciate the leadership principles that you have been attempting to communicate to the next President. If he ignores them, do not be discouraged. I promise that I will take them seriously. As a youth minister and a leader of my family, I think that they will come in handy.
"HOO-AH"!!! (U.S. Army slogan, current)
Are you kidding me? Is this the dark ages? Maybe we should just have the pope elected president and call it a day. These beliefs will lead to the ultimate demise of our great nation that was supposed to be separate from religion. (although it never was) I hope you are reading this, presidential hopeful…Please keep religion out of the oval office. It has no place there. The ignorance of our present administration has proved that this is not the way.
God Bless,
e
I JUST WANTED TO SAY HOW VERY GRATEFUL I AM THAT YOU SENT THIS LETTER IN IT IS BEAUTIFUL AND TO THE ARE YOU KIDDING ME PERSON THAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH OUR COUNTRY WE HAVE TAKEN GOD OUT OF EVERYTHING WE CAN. YOU CAN NOT BASE A COUNTRY ON FREEDOM OF RELIGION,( WHICH BY THE WAY IS WHY THE FIRST PEOPLE CAME HERE), OUR PLEDGE WAS UNDER GOD, WE SING GOD BLESS AMERICA AT ALL KINDS OF EVENTS. NOW PEOPLEWANT TO TAKE HIM OUT OF EVERYTHING ND WE WONDER WHY WE ARE GOING DOWN HILL THE PRESENT DAY IGNORANCE IS BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT HAS A FORKED TONGUE.HE SAYS ONE THING AND DOES OTHER THINGS FOR OTHER REASONS,BUT THAT IS OR WILL BE HIS PROBLEM. THE NEXT PRESIDENT NEEDS TO PRAY AND PRAY HARD. SO AGAIN HEAVEN RULES THANK YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU
I agree with the comment from e. Our country was founded so that religion and the state would be SEPARATE. Let's keep it that way, okay? Not everyone believes in this "ultimate accountability", so don't try cramming it down everyone's throat. We should not elect a president because he does or does not believe or follows one set of beliefs in some higher ower as some citizens do, but because he believes in the principles upon which our country was founded (to include freedom of religion)and our Constitution.
to those who claim that religion should be left out and that the government should rule the land, I encourage you to look into American history deeper and to look at the quotes of the founding fathers of America to get an understanding of what they thought and felt. Separation of church and state wasn't made to keep religion out of the ruling of the country, it was to keep the government out of people's affairs and out of religion… but sadly in this day and age, it has been reversed… flip-flopped if you will..
To K & E,
You both claim that religion should be separate from our country, but do you not see religion is the very bases of our country. The founders of this great nation believed in our God, and we are "this great nation" because of HIM. Take a look around, things have continually gone down hill as more religions have grown in the U.S. It is important that we look at the religion of our future leader, because we need a leader who serves our Lord. Its time that America wakes up and realizes that the only way that this country is ever going to get out of the shape its in is if they turn their eyes to the one and only Savior.
Thanks and God Bless You All!
Kay
What people fail to understand is that separation of church and state means there can be no government-sanctioned religion. The government can not say that Catholicism or Judaism or Muslim is the National Religion. This country was founded under God on principles found in the Bible. Read it and you will see, among other things, that our Judicial systems comes right out of its pages! I agree with a previous poster who suggests you do research and read quotes of the founding fathers of our country. Then come back and post when you have all the facts.
God's blessings on you.
Does anyone really know what separation of church and state means? It does not mean that our country was not founded based on a belief in God, or that those who govern the country should not be influenced by their religious beliefs. Rather, it means that government is not to impose certain religious beliefs and practices upon the American citizens. We are free to choose how we worship as individuals. However, anyone who denies that our country was not founded upon Christianity is not facing reality. Why else does our money say "In God We Trust"? Why else does the Pledge of Allegiance confirm that we are "One Nation, Under God"? It is only under God that we can be "indivisible" and have "Liberty and Justice for all." It is through faith in God that we have morals and boundaries for the people. Without these, anarchy would reign.
It is not about us! If we don't understand that it is about God, then how can we expect others to understand this. Religions of this world have no meaning…God is the only one that does.
Okay, K and E, you guys are really getting me annoyed! im sick of people thinking that religion is over-rated!! most of the people in our country are religious and its people like you that is screwing it all up and making us take God out of everything the we do! its not gonna happen so just let things be! i stand up every morning and say the pladge (in class) and i am one of the many people who say "UNDER GOD" with pride. i feel sorry for the people who wont accept God and try to live without his love.
God Bless you all and America!
~jenna
Seriously, I agree with Jenna and everything she is saying! GO JENNA!
Andy,
Great point. It's important that the next president understand that his "reign" is temporary and a great responsibility. He needs to think about the legacy he will leave and ensure that this great nation is left better on the day he exits the oval office.
His biggest challenge will not be about the definition of "separation of church and state". In the end, he will be accountable for his actions and decisions surrounding what he has been entrusted to manage. Whoever is elected should think long and hard about how they will respond in the end.
-R
Um, the founding fathers did not believe in religion.
You might be confusing Puritans and the mayflower migrants with the people who actually founded this nation ( Ben Franklin, Jefferson, J. Adams etc.)
Then again why ackknowlege facts and truth, chritianity is so good at avoiding realism anyway.
P.S. MR PRESIDENT, some of us in this country don't center our lives around the bible or other "god" related tyrannical concepts, so I would appreciate your regard for a large part of the population in that you exclude religion from public affairs.
Amy are you serious???? ben franklin, tom jefferson, and john adams all beleived in religion!! why else do you think that they included under god in everything??
is God really tryrannical…really? thats a rude and ignorant statement and you should be ashamed. and how does christianity avoid realism? you kinda just sound bitter and petty making those kind of comments.
though a part of the population isnt religious, the majority is. majority rules: isnt that how a republic works??
i know that serparation of religion and state is an american precendent, but its next to impossible to completely separate the two.
The seperation of church and state is not understood by most people today. Why would it be, the history of this term has been twisted and covered up by popular culture to make it into somethng that it's not. It refers specificaly to prevent what was happening in England at the time where the Church of England had too much control over Government affairs. It has nothing to do with having the Ten Commandments in a federal building or starting out a day of work with prayer. I'm not a very Religious person and dont endorse any religious ideas but thats just fact. The founding fathers were not religious ?? Am I missing something ?? I guess we can rewrite history to suit a few … Google Washington's Vision !!
The people who founded this nation were protestants you know… Techinically a part of the Christian faith, but pretty different views than what you are probably thinking of.
Anyways, they're religion is not what they based this nation on. Their ideas came primarily from the enlightenment, from such social philosophers as John Locke and Montesquieu.
Also, when religion gets involved in government, nothing good really comes out of it. See George Bush, Saddam Hussein, and any other really religious leader. Look back at the crusades as well. What was the reason given for them, exactly? Yeah, I thought so. Even the name is blatantly a religious idea.
Another thing, you did hear that Sarah Palin said that it's God's plan for us to take care of what's going on in the middle east, right? That kind of mindset is not good at all. Honestly, if there really is a God, it is quite arrogant to claim that you know what any of his plans are.
Our family totally agrees with Andy's letter. Historians throughout the centuries have tried to disprove the bible and so far they've not been able to disprove one thing. In fact, many athiest scientist have become devout Christians after trying to disprove the bible. Do the research.
The bottom line is there is a God and everyone, especially leaders, accountable to HIm. Leaders get to be leaders because of the gifts, talents and blessings that God has bestowed upon them. They are being put in a position of trust and given an opportunity to prove they are worthy of it.
It is in the country's and their own best interest to acknowledge that it's not them that are great but He who has put them in that position. He has given and He can take away.
Whether you acknowledge the stories in the bible or not, the fact remains that (like many other famous kings) there was a great king Nebuchadnezzar who was warned of what would happen and was punished for his arrogance. It was not till he acknowledged God that he was restored as king.
All leaders, especially the president of one of the most powerful nations, need to seek His will and pray for guidance in order to make wise choices and serve the people to the best of his abilities. There is a saying that said "absolute power corrupts absolutely". Thank God our system of government prevents that, but power does corrupt. Keeping God first will prevent that. It's only when Christian leaders forget to keep God first and when the body of Christ fails in their duties to pray for our leaders that they fail not because they are "religious leaders." By the way Saddam was not christian. His moral values were not based on what Jesus Christ teaches.
Sincerely,
Jacquie