American Exceptionalism Honored by Pope & Presdient

I just had a few minutes to listen to the Rush Limbaugh radio show today. He was pumped up at what the President and what the Pope had to say today about America. Below are a few excerpts from their speeches. I highlighted some of the outstanding thoughts that these two leaders shared today.

Rush used the term, “American Exceptionalism,” which Wikipedia defines as, “the belief that the U.S. differs qualitatively from other developed nations, because of its national credo, historical evolution, or distinctive political and religious institutions.”

COMMON GROUND

According to MyWayNews, “Bush and Benedict share much common ground, particularly in opposing abortion, gay marriage and embryonic stem cell research.” These are issues are of preeminent importance to the continued existence of a civilized society. They also differ on a number of issues including the death penalty, immigration, the war in Iraq, but all of these are of secondary importance.

ATTACKING GOD

The White House arranged for Soprano Kathleen Battle to sing "The Lord's Prayer" which it defended as appropriate despite what one news source referred to as “the overt insertion of religion into a public event," to which I reply, “hogwash.” The second half of the first amendment involves the right to express ones religion. There is no “separation of church and state” or “separation of God from state,” anywhere in the U.S. Constitution. It is prefabricated lie manifest by the liberal elite and activist judges.
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PRESIDENT BUSH'S REMARKS

. . . Most of all, Holy Father, you will find in America people whose hearts are open to your message of hope. And America and the world need this message. In a world where some invoke the name of God to justify acts of terror and murder and hate, we need your message that "God is love." And embracing this love is the surest way to save men from "falling prey to the teaching of fanaticism and terrorism."

In a world where some treat life as something to be debased and discarded, we need your message that all human life is sacred, and that "each of us is willed, each of us is loved" and your message that "each of us is willed, each of us is loved, and each of us is necessary."

In a world where some no longer believe that we can distinguish between simple right and wrong, we need your message to reject this "dictatorship of relativism," and embrace a culture of justice and truth.

In a world where some see freedom as simply the right to do as they wish, we need your message that true liberty requires us to live our freedom not just for ourselves, but "in a spirit of mutual support. . . "

POPE BENEDICT'S REMARKS

“…From the dawn of the Republic, America's quest for freedom has been guided by the conviction that the principles governing political and social life are intimately linked to a moral order based on the dominion of God the Creator. The framers of this nation's founding documents drew upon this conviction when they proclaimed the self evident truth that all men are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights grounded in the laws of nature and of nature's God.

The course of American history demonstrates the difficulties, the struggles, and the great intellectual and moral resolve which were demanded to shape a society which faithfully embodied these noble principles. In that process, which forged the soul of the nation, religious beliefs were a constant inspiration and driving force, as for example in the struggle against slavery and in the civil rights movement. In our time, too, particularly in moments of crisis,Americans continue to find their strength in a commitment to this patrimony of shared ideas and aspirations. . .

Freedom is not only a gift, but also a summons to personal responsibility. Americans know this from experience - almost every town in this country has its monuments honoring those who sacrificed their lives in defense of freedom, both at home and abroad. The preservation of freedom calls for the cultivation of virtue, self-discipline, sacrifice for the common good, and a sense of responsibility towards the less fortunate. It also demands the courage to engage in civic life and to bring one's deepest beliefs and values to reasoned public debate. . .

. . . In reflecting on the spiritual victory of freedom over totalitarianism in his (Pope John-Paul) native Poland and in Eastern Europe, he reminded us that history shows time and again that "in a world without truth, freedom loses its foundation," and a democracy without values can lose its very soul. Those prophetic words in some sense echo the conviction of President Washington, expressed in his Farewell Address, that religion and morality represent "indispensable supports" of political prosperity. . .