The following is an excerpt taken from President Dwight D. Eisenhower's remarks recorded in 1954 for a program recognizing the 75th Anniversary of the Incandescent Lamp.
FAITH, faith and the American individual. Yes, it is on these two pillars that our future rests.
It was Thomas Edison who said: "Be courageous; be as brave as your fathers before you. Have faith. Go forward."
Seventy-five years ago this very week, Tom Edison--a humble, typical sort of American--put this credo into action and gave a new light to the world.
It is faith that has made our Nation--has made it, and kept it free. Atheism substitutes men for the supreme creator and this leads inevitably to domination and dictatorship. But we believe--and it is because we believe that God intends all men to be free and equal that we demand free government. Our Government is servant, not master, our chosen representatives are our equals, not our czars or commissars.
We must jealously guard our foundation in faith. For on it rests the ability of the American individual to live and thrive in this blessed land-and to be able to help other less fortunate people to achieve freedom and individual opportunity. These we take for granted, but to others they are often only a wistful dream.
"In God we trust." Often have we heard the words of this wonderful American motto. Let us make sure that familiarity has not made them meaningless for us.
We carry the torch of freedom as a sacred trust for all mankind. We do not believe that God intended the light that He created to be put out by men.
***
In God We Trust
Help us carry the torch of freedom. Become a volunteer and sign our petition in favor of term limits, fiscal responsibility, and limiting the power of the Federal Government: www.conventionofstates.com.
