“[Common grace] curbs the destructive power of sin, maintains in a measure the moral order of the universe, thus making an orderly life possible, distributes in varying degrees gifts and talents among men, promotes the development of science and art, and showers untold blessings upon the children of men,”
- Louis Berkhof
Common grace, although by no means native to, is woven in the founding fabric of our republic. The writings and recorded statements of our founding fathers all reflect a respect for common grace. This does not mean that they were all partakers of the gospel. Indeed many were not. They were cognizant of the fact that apart from the benevolence of the creator there would be no orderly or civil society.
Consider the following statements as a representative sample:
“Religion, as well as reason, confirms the soundness of those principles on which our government has been founded and its rights asserted.”
- Thomas Jefferson
“[W]e have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. . . . Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
- John Adams
“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.”
- George Washington
“I must own I have so much faith in the general government of the world by Providence that I can hardly conceive a transaction of such momentous importance to the welfare of millions now existing, and to exist in the posterity of a great nation, should be suffered to pass without being in some degree influenced, guided, and governed by that omnipotent, omnipresent, and beneficent Ruler.”
- Benjamin Franklin
There are many more quotes that could be added. Sufficed to say that the unquestioned view of the founding fathers was that God’s blessings come upon that nation that recognize and cherish His common grace.
There are identifiable societal building blocks that can be recognized as common grace. These building blocks are civic virtue, integrity, morality, marriage between one man and one woman, family, self-sacrifice, honest work, and chastity, just to name a few. Not content to attempt to rid our society of the overt propagation of the gospel, philosophical and social leftist elites have long desired to remove any tie to God by removing the evidences of common grace. This pursuit is by no means new nor is it native to any political party or administration. What is troublesomely novel, however, is that whereas in times past these eradicators of common grace were marginal, they are now concentrated and employed by the current administration. It is foolishness to think that the future of our republic is secure when those who hold the reins of power eschew those basic virtues without which no civil society can long survive.
If we as a society, do not ourselves cherish and foster common grace and expect such conduct from those who represent us there is no hope. We can forfeit but so much of our foundation before the whole house collapses in on itself. We had better remember the words of Thomas Jefferson who said,
“I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever.”
What assaults on common grace have been/are being employed by the current administration? and how are these more concentrated than past efforts?