Following is a message from our first President.  It is his declaration of the American celebration of Thanksgiving.  His continued references to God and the protections and grace provided by our Creator remind us of a different time in our nation’s history. Our original Colonies each were founded with very specific yet very different religions.  The  purposeful creation of the separation of Church and State was not as it seems today, to eliminate religion and God from any form of government or public venue, but to simply say that there would be no specific State sponsored (chosen) religion. Whether you are Gentile or Jew, Buddhist or Muslim, believer or not, you are free to worship as you choose.  This is a very fundamental right from the very beginning of our Union. Yet today we have a President who struggles to be so politically correct that he will not acknowledge the horrible terrorist attack at Fort Hood as to not to offend anyone.  He has said that we are not a Christian nation and this is the first year the White House does not have a Christmas Tree.  It is a “holiday” tree with ornaments, that by decree, cannot have any religious decorations as so many artists have created hand made ornaments for so many years.  Our great Nation was founded with Judeo Christian values and these values have guided us for over 200 years.  So as you gather with your family and friends, let us all be mindful that we have so much to be thankful for.  This is the greatest Nation on earth and America’s best day are still ahead of her.  We will stand together to be thankful and to protect our freedom and liberty from all types of tyranny.  May God bless you and God Bless these United States of America.

President George Washington

The Massachussets Centinel, Wednesday, October 14, 1789 

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLIC THANKSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness”.

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all that good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been able to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we were blessed, and the means we have of acquiring useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.  And also, that we man then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.