November 2003 Dear friend of KHCS,
Let’s give thanks to God! Each November Americans set aside a day
for giving thanks. We usually think of the Pilgrims and the celebration
of their first harvest in the New World, but they didn’t invent the
concept. Harvest celebrations have been going on for centuries, if not
millennia.
Thanksgiving has been celebrated throughout the history of the United
States. The Pilgrims observed June 29, 1676 as a “day of Solemn
Thanksgiving and praise to God,” so that “this whole people offer up our
bodies and souls as a living and acceptable service unto God by Jesus
Christ.”
Congress proclaimed Thanksgiving observances throughout the Colonial
era. See the Library of Congress website,
http://lcweb.loc.gov/
exhibits/religion
Which leads me to a further observation: Sometimes you will hear a
disbeliever in America’s Christian heritage say, “According to the
Treaty of Tripoli, ‘The government of the United States is not founded
on the Christian religion.’” Let me quote the entirety of Article 11 in
the treaty of 1796 -- “As the government of the United States of America
is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion,-as it has in
itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility
of Musselmen,-and as the said States never have entered into any war or
act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the
parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever
produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two
countries.”
The perplexing phrase was omitted when the Tripoli treaty was
revisited in 1805: “As the Government of the United States of America,
has in itself no character of enmity . . .” etc. Thus, there is only
one reference that makes the claim that the government (not American
society, but the government) was not founded on Christianity.
On the other hand, there is an enormous amount of documentation that
proves America’s Christian foundation. See the Library of Congress
website.
In 1892, the United States Supreme Court, in its Trinity decision
examined the history of America going back to Christopher Columbus and
declared, “[T]his is a religious nation.” “[W]e are a Christian people,
and the morality of the country is deeply ingrafted upon Christianity, and
not upon the doctrines or worship of those impostors.” (i.e. Mahomet &
the Grand Lama) And the court concluded, “These and many other matters
which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial declarations to the
mass of organic utterances that this is a Christian nation.”
This is, of course, not the only document that supports the Christian
heritage of the United States. Atheists are truly grasping at straws when
they offer only one phrase, taken out of context, to support their belief.
So this Thanksgiving Day, and every day, let us offer thanks to God for
blessing us with a nation where we are free to serve and worship Him
according to our own conscience.
And let us be vigilant to protect those freedoms which have been bought
with the lives of those who fought to give them to us.
By listening to KHCS, you keep aware of threats to your freedom to
worship and witness. But this service is only made possible because
listeners like you contribute financially. I do need to inform you that
listener contributions to this ministry have not kept up with our actual
needs in 2003. Your tax-deductible contributions are urgently needed now
so that we will be able to end the year with adequate funding.
We could prompt you with an offer of a book, tape, key ring or some
other premium. But we would rather that you be prompted by the Holy
Spirit. And, last time I checked, I’m not Him! So, right now, please
pray about how much you can contribute, and then give as the Lord
directs. Thank you also for praying for KHCS and sharing us with others.
In His
joy!

Glen Kippel
General Manager
P.S. It’s time for us to work up our programming
lineup for 2004. Please fill out and return the survey as soon as
possible. Just click the link below to open a PDF
document you can print out and mail in (you will need Adobe Reader - a
free program from Adobe). Click logo below to download Adobe Reader.
Thank you!
Survey Form click here.

Mailing Address:
Joy92
PO Box 3115
Palm Desert, CA 92260

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