WWII leaders sought divine intervention to save Christian civilization in battle against Axis
Central to the American Experience: Faith in God
Since the founding of the United States, a deep belief in the God of the Bible has been at the heart of the American experience. Throughout history, leaders have turned to this faith to inspire and strengthen the American people.
In World War II, this belief played a crucial role. But first, let’s lay the foundation upon which these leaders stood.
The Declaration of Independence, our nation’s founding charter, states that the purpose of government is to secure the God-given rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These rights are revealed in the laws of nature and nature’s God, as explained in the Bible.
The signers of the declaration, representing the newly declared free United States of America, professed their reliance on divine Providence and pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to the cause of liberty.
Providence, the belief that God governs over the affairs of this world, is a fundamental principle of Christianity. Even Benjamin Franklin, who was not traditionally Christian, acknowledged the aid of the God of the Bible during the Revolutionary War.
During the Constitutional Convention in 1787, when the delegates were divided on the form of the new government, Franklin called for a Christian minister to lead them in prayer for wisdom and guidance. He recognized the Superintending providence that had protected them during the Revolution.
George Washington, in one of his earliest acts as president, set aside a national day of thanksgiving to God in 1789.
This is just a glimpse of our nation’s faith heritage, which is explored in greater detail in the book ”We Hold These Truths.” Now, let’s turn to the leaders of World War II.
Prior to America’s entry into the war, President Franklin Roosevelt declared a national emergency in May 1941 as the Axis powers threatened global security. The stakes were high, with Germany seizing much of Western Europe and Japan occupying parts of China.
In his famous “Finest Hour” speech, Prime Minister Winston Churchill declared that the survival of Christian civilization depended on the outcome of the Battle of Britain.
Roosevelt echoed this sentiment in a radio address, stating that the world was divided between human slavery and human freedom, between pagan brutality and the Christian ideal. He affirmed the nation’s faith in the word of God and its commitment to freedom.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt addressed the nation in a radio broadcast titled ”We Hold These Truths.” He emphasized the importance of the Bill of Rights, which enshrined the ideals of the Declaration of Independence, and highlighted the contrast between the acceptance of these truths by the world and the rejection of them by the Axis powers.
#OTD 1941, FDR gave a radio address on 150th anniversary of ratification of Bill of Rights. https://t.co/gtcOOJy5nk pic.
Presidential Trivia
“The rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness which seemed to the Founders of the republic, and which seem to us, inalienable, were, to Hitler and his fellows, empty words which they proposed to cancel forever,” Roosevelt said.
He explained that in Nazi Germany, a citizen’s only duty “is the duty of obedience, not to his God, not to his conscience, but to Adolf Hitler; and that his only value is his value, not as a man, but as a unit of the Nazi state.”
“To Hitler, the church, as we conceive it, is a monstrosity to be destroyed by every means at his command. The Nazi church is to be the ‘National Church,’ a pagan church, absolutely and exclusively in the service of but one doctrine, one race, one nation,” FDR said.
Following the Allied D-Day invasion of France on June 6, 1944, to begin to retake western Europe from the Nazis, Roosevelt addressed Americans by radio that night.
“Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our republic, our religion and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity,” the president began.
He concluded, using the words of Jesus Christ from the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy will be done, Almighty God.”
“Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely … I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory.” -Dwight Eisenhower’s words preparing for D-Day. pic.twitter.com/kIN7gSCAIJ
Just prior to the pivotal Battle of the Bulge in December of 1944, the last major German offensive of the war, Gen. George S. Patton ordered prayer cards to be distributed to his entire Third Army, 250,000 strong.
The prayer, drafted by Third Army Chaplain James O’Neill, was for better weather, so the war could be more quickly brought to a close.
General Patton, desiring good weather for his advance to Bastogne, had Chaplain Fr. James O’Neill compose a card to be distributed to each one of the 250,000 troops under his command of the Third Army, and had all of the men pray this prayer. #WW2 pic.twitter.com/lbuQOFILY1
“Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for Battle,” the prayer read.
“Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies and establish Thy justice among men and nations. Amen.”
The weather did change, by the way, and elements of the Third Army were able to rescue the 101st Airborne Division, which had been surrounded in the Belgian city of Bastogne.
WWII Leaders Appealed to God and Saving Christian Civilization in Fight Against Axis Powers
In October 1944, when Gen. Douglas MacArthur made his famous return to the Philippines, he announced via a radio address, “People of the Philippines: I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God our forces stand again on Philippine soil — soil consecrated in the blood of our two peoples.”
“We have come, dedicated and committed, to the task of destroying every vestige of enemy control over your daily lives, and of restoring, upon a foundation of indestructible strength, the liberties of your people,” MacArthur said.
“As the lines of battle roll forward to bring you within the zone of operations, rise and strike,” he said, then closing, “The guidance of Divine God points the way. Follow in his name to the Holy Grail of righteous victory.”
After the American armed forces retook much of Manila in February 1945, MacArthur oversaw a ceremony reestablishing the Philippine government. As it concluded, he asked those assembled to join him in offering the Lord’s Prayer.
Following Nazi Germany’s surrender to the Allies in May 1945, President Harry Truman told Americans in a radio broadcast, “For this victory we join in offering our thanks to the Providence, which has guided and sustained us through the dark days of adversity and into light.”
Truman had become president following Roosevelt’s death in office in April of that year.
Truman appointed a National Day of Prayer for Sunday, May 13, regarding the victory in Europe, asking Americans “to unite in offering joyful thanks to God for the victory we have won and to pray that He will support us to the end of our present struggle.”
MacArthur would oversee the surrender of Japan on board the battleship USS Missouri on Sept. 2, 1945. He concluded by saying, “Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it always.”
In a radio address to Americans soon afterward, the general said, “And so, my fellow countrymen, today I report to you that your sons and daughters have served you well and faithfully with the calm, deliberate, determined spirit of the American soldier and sailor based on the tradition of historical truth, as against the fanaticism of an enemy supported only by mythological fiction.”
“Their spiritual strength and power has brought us through to victory. They are homeward bound — take care of them.”
The primary source of America’s spiritual strength since its founding has been faith in the God of the Bible.
Going forward, if we wish to preserve this last, best hope of freedom in the world, it must continue to be.
Randy DeSoto is the author of the book “We Hold These Truths” about how leaders have appealed to belief in God and in God-given rights throughout U.S. history.
The post WWII Leaders Appealed to God and Saving Christian Civilization in Fight Against Axis Powers appeared first on The Western Journal.
In what ways can reaffirming our faith in God help us overcome challenges in an increasingly secular world
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At the end of World War II, the United States stood as a global superpower and a beacon of freedom and democracy. This victory was not only a result of military might and strategic alliances, but also of the faith and conviction that God was on the side of the just and righteous.
The leaders of the United States during this pivotal moment in history recognized the importance of faith in God as a central pillar of the American experience. They understood that it was through this faith that the American people found strength, courage, and a sense of purpose.
Today, as we reflect on the sacrifices and victories of the past, it is crucial that we remember the role that faith in God played in shaping the American experience. It is a legacy that continues to guide us as a nation and should be embraced and cherished.
In a world that is becoming increasingly secular, it is more important than ever to reaffirm our faith in God and the values that he has instilled in our nation. It is through this faith that we can find hope, unity, and the strength to overcome any challenges that we may face.
So let us remember the words of our founding fathers, the leaders of World War II, and the countless Americans who have placed their faith in God throughout history. Let us hold firm to this faith and allow it to guide us as we continue to strive for a better future for all Americans.
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