I have been hearing a lot of uproar over President Obama’s
omission of “under God” during his recitation of the Gettysburg Address. Though
I completely understand why this is causing such a controversy throughout America;
I also understand why he did it. It is said that there are actually five
versions of the speech written by President Abraham Lincoln. Being a Christian
myself and a firm believer in God, it would bring joy to my heart to believe
that the real Gettysburg Address contained the words “under God” in it.
However, knowing my history the way I do can make the fact that it may not believable.
What is the scoop?
So the story hitting the media is that Chris Plante, a
Washington DC radio host, noted an odd change in President Obama’s recitation
of the Gettysburg Address for documentary producer Ken Burns. It seems that
instead of saying, "that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of
freedom," President Obama conveniently left out the words “under God."
This is a big deal, right? Well, for most of us that are Christian it is. Even
so, what is the truth behind the situation?
The History behind the Gettysburg Address.
President Abraham Lincoln may not have said the words “under
God” in his original address. In fact, there are actually five different copies
of the written address by Abraham Lincoln. The Library of Congress holds the
two earliest versions of the address. It is said that he wrote one of those
before the speech and is considered to be the Nicolay version. This is because
he gave the document to John Nicolay, one of his secretaries who later donated
it to the Library of Congress. The three other copies of the famous Gettysburg
Address is scattered throughout the country. In the Nicolay version, the words
“under God” do not exist. Why you ask do the words exist in the other versions
but not this one?
Well, some historians consider this version to be a rough
draft of the speech, while others argue something else entirely. The truth about
the matter is, President Lincoln may not have written the words “under God"
initially. In fact, he was a man who had little faith in God in his early
years. He was not committed to a church family or a certain religion. This did
not mean that he did not believe in God. The late president once stated, “That
I am not a member of any Christian Church, is true; but I have never denied the
truth of the Scriptures; and I have never spoken with intentional disrepect of
religion in general, or of any denomination of Christians in particular,”(Lincoln,
1846). So is the idea that he omitted the words “under God” really all that
unbelievable? Yes, by the time he gave the speech he had grown remarkably in
his faith. He also was a politician. He realized that Americans were religious
people and there were times where he used faith to make a point. Take, for
example, a quote from President Abraham Lincoln, “Near eighty years ago we
began by declaring that all men are created equal; but now from that beginning
we have run down to the other declaration, that for SOME men to enslave OTHERS
is a "sacred right of self-government." These principles cannot stand
together. They are as opposite as God and mammon; and whoever holds to the one,
must despise the other" (Lincoln, 1854). I do not think it impossible that
he eventually added the words “under God” in the copies he wrote for Charities.
Conclusion
Let us now get back to the present. Ken Burns has stated
that he asked President Obama to recite the Nicolay version of the Gettysburg
Address and so the president did just that. I do not think that he
intentionally left out the words “under God". I think he was merely
reciting the version specified to him. I am not a huge Obama fan. I do not like
how he is running our country, and I detest ObamaCare immensely. This is my
opinion, and everyone is entitled to theirs. However, I will give him credit on
this issue as bad as I hate to admit that.
References:
American Treasures of the Library of Congress. (2010).
Picture of “Nicolay Copy” Gettysburg Address. Retrieved from website: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/images/frstdrt1.jpg
Lincoln, A. (1854). Speech at peoria, illinois. Retrieved
from website: http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=lincoln;cc=lincoln;type=simple;rgn=div1;q1=speech%20at%20peoria;view=text;subview=detail;sort=occur;idno=lincoln2;node=lincoln2%3A282
Lincoln, A. (1846). Handbill replying to charges of infidelity.
Retrieved from website: http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=lincoln;cc=lincoln;type=simple;rgn=div1;q1=July%2031%2C%201846;view=text;subview=detail;sort=occur;idno=lincoln1;node=lincoln1%3A403
Pictures and signature credits:
Abraham Lincoln (1863). Foto: Alexander Gardner. Retrieved
from website: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln
American Treasures of the Library of Congress. (2010).
Picture of “Nicolay Copy” Gettysburg Address. Retrieved from website: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/images/frstdrt1.jpg
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