“The Elections That Changed the World: Fifteen Pivotal Moments That Shaped How We Live,” a new book by CNN Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash, with co-author David Fisher, is well-timed for an election year. The book examines elections that left a significant footprint in history.
We hear so much about Christian Nationalism that it bears further examination. At its heart is the belief that America was founded as a Christian nation. And more: our laws and policies should reflect that. However, there are two terms in the phrase.
The Christian part refers to the faith that a nation’s laws and culture should reflect Christian doctrines; government is an institution to implement those doctrines. Nationalism, on the other hand, refers to the primacy of the state that runs on power. The fusion of the two can confuse the public, and sometimes supporters, as to which dominates.
In my role as Chaplain at Mennonite Memorial Home, I was blessed to meet many special residents. Some modeled not only great faith, but also special talents. Grace Moyer Frounfelker was one.
Very sharp of mind in her nineties, she was a native of Allentown, Pennsylvania, and had been living in Bluffton. She was active at First Mennonite Church. She and her husband had lived in a wilderness area out west. He was an outdoorsman and psychologist and wore a beard before beards became commonplace among men.
A sober examination of American society today must acknowledge a state of political confusion and public anxiety. Abroad, we are in a war of choice with Iran with no developed exit strategy. We have drawn closer to Communist China than at any time since Mao Zedong announced the founding of the People's Republic of China. Meanwhile, we increase our distance from NATO allies, and have been less than enthusiastic about supporting Ukraine against invading Russian forces.
In thinking about “America 250,” my mind immediately jumps to its ideals, beginning with the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Those beautiful words defined a revolutionary moment in history. They sparked a radical revolution producing a singular democratic society in which common people, beyond the confines of race or religion, could pursue lives outside the dictates of kings or lords or class.
Bluffton resident Ron Lora is a retired history professor, past president of the Swiss Community Historical Society and member of the Bluffton University Sports Hall of Fame. We are pleased to begin providing his monthly guest column in the Bluffton and Ada Icons.
By Ron Lora
F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, two of the best American authors of the twentieth century, engaged in an intriguing exchange on rich people: “Let me tell you about the very rich. The rich are different from you and me,” wrote Fitzgerald. “Yes,” Hemingway replied, “They have more money.” That repartee didn’t actually occur face-to-face, but grew out of words they had written. Both had a point, but Hemingway is thought to have won the exchange.
