Americans are beginning to forget the important origins of our national Thanksgiving holiday.  Its spiritual significance is no longer taught in our nation’s public schools.  In fact, most school children today are taught that Thanksgiving originated when the Pilgrims invited their Indian friends to dinner to thank them for providing sustenance after the Mayflower landed.  As with much of modern American revisionist history, there really is much more to the story.

Coming to America
The Atlantic crossing in the fall of 1620 had been an extremely difficult journey for the Pilgrims.  For two months, 102 people were wedged into what was called the “tween decks” of the Mayflower—the ship’s cargo space with only about five-and-a-half feet of headroom.  No one was allowed above deck because of the terrible storms.  This was no pleasure trip.

A pastor called CLA with these two questions:  

1. Is it against the law to advertise church programs for students in a public school?  

2. Can notices of church programs be legally distributed to public school students?

A discouraged pastor recently called CLA when his local zoning board would not allow the church to start a Christian school, a vision the church had dreamed about for a long time. One of the neighbors had complained to city officials about the church's plans.  Could CLA become involved?

According to Attorney David Gibbs, "This is an increasing problem nationwide. Ministries are continually being told that they may not have a larger religious impact on their communities. This epidemic must stop."

Consider the story of Pastor Sheldon and the church he pastors. (These names and the following situation have been fictionalized for purposes of illustration.) After ministering for seventeen years at the same church in his community, Pastor Sheldon was excited to see the Lord moving and growing the ministry.  When Mr. Donnelly, a local businessman, offered to donate a large parcel of commercial property located on the other side of town, Pastor Sheldon was ecstatic! Attendance was at an all-time high, but the church’s facilities were limited.  Mr. Donnelly’s generous gift would provide much- needed space for new Sunday school classrooms and exciting ministry expansion. 

"The Last American Puritan"

Not many people credit Sam Adams of Boston, John’s cousin, with being an important American founding father.  But he was that, as well as being one of the most dedicated Christians among the elite group of men who met in Philadelphia and signed the Declaration of Independence during that fateful summer of 1776.
 
Sam was also a realistic Christian who was not certain how long the Biblical heritage he had helped instill in his new nation could be preserved.  Before his death in 1803, Adams was already seeing cracks in the Christian republic he had helped to bring to life at Independence Hall.  He lamented: “I am greatly concerned for my dear native Town [Boston], lest after having stood foremost in the Cause of Religion and Liberty she lose her Glory.”

Today, many dedicated Christians in America are reading their newspapers and sharing Sam Adams’ concern.  We are faced every day with examples of the decreasing role of Christianity and the Bible in our beloved country.  America’s Biblical heritage is gradually being lost, but we agree with Sam Adams that preserving that religious heritage is not merely one option among many if we are to ensure our continuing liberties in America.

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”  -James 5:16.

Capitol Prayer is a new program the Christian Law Association is launching for 2009.  Please begin to pray now about participating in this important effort to beseech God to intervene and save America from the destructive cultural influences in our land.  While our attorneys continue to fight in our nation’s courtrooms for religion and morality in America, we realize that the legal tide is turning against us.  We believe that without God’s return to our courtrooms, our nation cannot long survive.

Capitol Prayer is a CLA-led initiative to cover our nation with prayer, extending out from our nation’s capitol, 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.  This initiative will be launched on January 1, 2009.  We are telling you about this new program now so that you and your church will have some lead time to plan how you can become involved. 

CLA ministers in the following ways:

• Legal Service to churches and Christians in matters of the faith
• Preaching services and Teaching seminars
• Publications and Radio program on over 1250 radio outlets, The Legal Alert
• Capitol Prayer: Round-the-clock prayer in Washington, D.C.
• HELPS: Home Educators Legal Protection Services

The Christian Law Association works diligently to keep America open for the Gospel.  Along the way, over nearly forty years of legally defending soul winners, attorneys for CLA have met some very wonderful people.  This month we want to introduce two of these people to you.

Pastor Glendy Hamilton and Pastor Corey Seulean have been used of God to win thousands in America to Jesus Christ. Both of these men have taken on a personal challenge to lead at least one person to Jesus Christ every day. Encourage your heart by reading the stories of these two faithful men who show us that "with God nothing shall be impossible."

Dr. Nathaniel Abraham, Ph.D., is a biologist, scholar, and research scientist specializing in zebrafish, developmental biology, and programmed cell death.  He was fired from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, a highly esteemed research facility based in New England in March of 2004.  The reason?  Dr. Abraham believes in Creation and does not accept evolution as a scientific fact.  With his termination, Dr. Abraham became one of many scientists and academics who have dedicated years of their lives to the pursuit of scientific knowledge; but because they are unwilling to spout the "party line" with respect to evolution, they are being forced out of their field.

Read how CLA is defending the rights of this Christian scientist to practice his profession consistent with his faith.

Many important religious liberty issues that will be working their way through the courts in 2008 that require our attention and fervent prayers. 

The year 2008 will be a year in which election results, particularly for the Presidency and the Senate, will likely result in Supreme Court appointments that will set the course of American history for decades to come.  There is no doubt that a culture war is going on in America.  One of the key battlegrounds in this war is our nation's court system, primarily the Supreme Court, but also lower courts at every level.  Will America's future be decided by judges who want to evolve our Constitution into a more malleable document that can move America even farther away from its Christian foundations?  Or will our judges begin to look to the original intent of the Constitution as a document that presumed America's reliance on God to preserve the Union?

Can you separate the myth from the fact?

Has the Supreme Court ever banned the singing of Christmas carols in public schools?  Are communities legally banned from including religious symbols in Christmas holiday parades or civic programs?  The first text message ever sent was a Christmas greeting?  You will greatly enjoy this entertaining look at the popular myths and unknown facts surrounding the celebration of Christmas in America.

As we Americans gather around our Thanksgiving tables this year, we must make sure that our children understand it is the God of the Bible we are thanking.  Some school children today are being told that on that first Thanksgiving, the Pilgrims held a feast to thank the Indians for helping them survive in the wilderness.

It is especially important in these dangerous times that Americans continue to thank God for His bounty and His blessing on our nation.