As usual, some secularists are having a pretty hard time celebrating Thanksgiving this year. So much so that some of them are trying to besmirch its heritage.
It must be frustrating for them. After all, when you don’t believe in God, whom do you “thank” at Thanksgiving?
Perhaps one of the reasons for their attempted revision of history is that Thanksgiving is the one North America holiday that has its history firmly rooted in the blatant intermingling of religion and politics.
A brief survey of the practice of Thanksgiving in both America and Canada clearly demonstrates that the holiday was established by acts of government, and that it had deep religious roots.
We’ve all heard the story of the first Thanksgiving celebration in the U.S. back in 1621. The Mayflower Pilgrims had just endured the bitterest winter of their lives; 46 of the original 102 had perished. But they had been “blessed” with an abundant harvest, and in acknowledgement of these blessings William Bradford called for a local day of Thanksgiving to God for preserving them.
Two years later, Bradford again proclaimed a “special day of thanks” – this time as the governor of Plymouth Colony – after the colonists had recovered from a drought.
By the late 1700s, the 13 colonies joined together for the first colonial-wide celebration of Thanksgiving. The Continental Congress decreed that the citizens were to supplicate God Almighty “to secure for these United States, the greatest of all human Blessings, Independence and Peace.”
And so it went, for more than 300 years. Culminating in 1941, when Congress sanctioned the fourth Thursday of November as a perpetual Day of Thanksgiving to God Almighty, “for the continuance of his favor and protection to these United States.”
In Canada, the religious roots of Thanksgiving are equally compelling. In fact, it could be argued that Canada’s “Thanksgiving tradition” is even more explicitly religious than America’s. While there were some voices that opposed the celebration by act of government in the United States, there is no such record of any significant opposition in Canada.
The first recorded civil proclamation of Thanksgiving in Canada was issued in 1799. The reason: “In signal victory over our enemy and for the manifold and inestimable blessings which our Kingdoms and Provinces have received and daily continue to receive.”
There were various proclamations issued for special Days of Thanksgiving through the 1800s, and in each instance, these proclamations were decreed by Acts of Parliament and included injunctions to pray for the continuation of “God’s mercies.”
What all of these proclamations – in both countries – had in common was the notion that people should be thanking God. Imagine it. Civil rulers telling citizens to acknowledge God and thank Him for His “mercies.”
No wonder secularists go mad at the thought of “Thanksgiving”!
In Seattle, a school psychologist sent a memo to teachers this year, warning them of the negative effects of teaching students about Thanksgiving. “With so many holidays approaching, we want to again remind you that Thanksgiving can be a particularly difficult time for many of our Native students,” she wrote. Thanksgiving, she added, might actually be viewed as an “occasion of mourning.” She also suggested that the teachers check out a website giving the “Native American” perspective on Thanksgiving. That website tries to deconstruct the holiday by asking:
What is it about the story of “The First Thanksgiving” that makes it essential to be taught in virtually every grade from preschool through high school? What is it about the story that is so seductive? Is it because as Americans we have a deep need to believe that the soil we live on and the country on which it is based was founded on integrity and cooperation?
It is amazing to me how selective revisionists are. No doubt, there were white Europeans who took advantage of the Indians. But what so many revisionists fail to mention is that corruption, oppression and injustice are not a one-way street. They try to perpetuate the myth that Native American Indians were pure, innocent, noble savages, all living in complete harmony with one another and “mother earth” until the evil white man came along and introduced Christian civilization.
I partly understand the motivation. Liberals have a vested interest in their “story” because many of them hate Christianity. They greatly prefer paganism.
But truly, the first question from that Native American website deserves an answer. “What is it about the story of ‘The First Thanksgiving’ that makes it essential to be taught?”
For one thing, it puts to rest the ridiculous notion that religion and politics were separate arenas of activity in both America and Canada.
But this “story” and this “holiday” also remind us of a fundamental truth.
If it is possible for people with deep religious convictions to act like savages, what would the culture be like if the secularists succeeded in taking God out of the picture entirely, and allowed us all to return to our natural pagan selves?
For one thing, it won’t be turkeys basting in the oven, that’s for sure.
The fact is God’s blessing on our culture isn’t just demonstrated in the abundance of materials. God’s blessing is demonstrated in His continuing mercies, in His restraint of the natural corruption and original savagery each of us possesses – a savagery that would only be exacerbated when God and morality are purposefully ignored.
That’s why this holiday is important. That’s why we need to celebrate it, to teach it and to remember that our peace and welfare ultimately rests on God’s common grace.
So enjoy your turkey this Thanksgiving. But remember that your peace and welfare are predicated solely on God’s good mercies, not your own.
Related special offers:
Thanksgiving quiz: Which Bible did the Pilgrims favor?
“Christianity and the American Commonwealth”
“Character for Life: An American Heritage”
Democrats aren’t democracy’s party
Daniel McCarthy