As we see our two political parties beginning to ramp up their campaigns for the upcoming 2012 presidential elections it is interesting to listen to the talk - and one thing is always consistent in their rhetoric - they have the answer, they know how to fix the problem, just let them show you how - as soon as they are elected.

Oh, we all have our opinions and ideas as to what we believe it will take to fix our nation and just what course is required to accomplish that fix, but most of the solutions being provided have to do with money or jobs or education or more social programs.

But the truth is this - we can't fix the problem until we understand that the problem is bigger than our economy, and that the solution is not to be found in our wallets, but in our hearts. We as a nation are standing at a great crossroad, and whichever road we choose to take will determine the destiny and the very future existence of our nation. Simply said â€â€œ I believe our only hope to fix the America we all know and love is to, as a nation, turn back to God. If we want to stay on the right road and help make a better America, it will only be with Godâ€â„¢s help.
Now am I the first person to say that? Of course not. People all across America, the large majority of Americans, believe that we must get our great country back on track, and that it can only be done with God's help.

Our founding fathers felt that same way. It was Benjamin Franklin in 1787 in a speech to the Constitutional Congress who said this:

â€Å“I have lived, sirs, 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. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, it is probable that an empire cannot rise without His aidâ€Â�.

Benjamin Franklin believed that our new and free American could only be successful as a nation with God's help. In that same speech he went on to say we had been assured in the Sacred Writings that:

â€Å“Except the Lord build a house, they labor in vain that build it."

Benjamin Franklin believed that not only did we need God to help us build America; more than that â€â€œ he believed that without God we could not build America. And what did our nation's other leaders say after Franklin's statement regarding our great need for God in America? You say, â€Å“They threw him out on his ear. They told him they could not allow God to lead our nation - that would somehow take away our American citizenâ€â„¢s freedom of religion.â€Â� Right? Wrong.
When Franklin finished his speech, the delegates to that Congress sat for a moment silent, then up stepped James Madison who today is known as the â€Å“Chief Architect of our U.S. Constitutionâ€Â� and he was our fourth U.S. President. He moved that Franklin's appeal for national prayer be established,; and his motion was seconded and passed by Edmond Jennings Randolph of Virginia who further moved that quote, â€Å“A sermon be preached at the request of that convention on the Fourth of July, the anniversary of our nation's independence, and that prayers be offered every day to Almighty God at the beginning of each meeting.â€Â�
You see, our founding fathers knew just what it would take to build a nation and to survive as a nation. And, by the way, both Houses of our U.S. Congress, even to this very day, always open their sessions with a word of prayer.

Now, if this mentioning of God in America makes you mad or upset, the historical truth is there for all to read. And because our founding fathers sought God's help in building America, He helped them, and, because of God's great Help, today America is the greatest and most successful nation in the world.

But here's my question â€â€œ â€Å“At the rate we are going, just how long will America continue to be a great nation? 100 years? 10 years? 1 year?â€Â�

Think about this - even though our America was built on a foundation of high character and moral ideals, today anyone who stands up publicly and speak out about morality and virtue, so many people just scoff at you. They call you a prude or an extremist. So often, the only time it is acceptable to use God's name publicly in America today is when we use His name in vain, or in some generic way that really doesn't refer to the one living God.

We can display God's name in our money, â€Å“In God We Trustâ€Â� as long as we don't seem to really mean it.

We can use God's name in our Pledge of Allegiance, as long as we really don't make our nation be under God.

Our national leaders can take an oath of office using the phrase, â€Å“So help me Godâ€Â�, just as long as they don't really bring God into that office.

But it's clear - our founding fathers and the brave men and women who started our great nation believed that God had to be our true and real leader if we were to survive and succeed as a nation.

So once again the question â€â€œ â€Å“At the rate we are going today, just how long will we be a great nation? For that matter, a nation at all?â€Â� And if we keep going down the same path were on as a nation today, this slippery slope, how long will it be, and what will it take to save America?
You tell me.

See you again next week.

Jerry Stewart