Thanksgiving Proclamation, 3 October 1789
Thanksgiving Proclamation
[New York, 3 October 1789]
By the President of the United States of America. a Proclamation.
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation—for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war—for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed—for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted—for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions—to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually—to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed—to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord—To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us—and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
Go: Washington
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-04-02-0091
There is George Washington. Then there is Joe Biden.
Biden Officially Tries to Remove God from Thanksgiving with 2023 ProclamationRachel M. Emmanuel, The Western Journal By Rachel M. Emmanuel, The Western Journal
Published November 22, 2023
When we say the word “Thanks-giving,” it presumes the giving of thanks.
But to whom is that thanks given?
Since the first Thanksgiving on Plymouth Rock and its subsequent establishment as a day of thanks on Oct. 3, 1789, the recipient of that thanks on behalf of the United States of America has always been God.
But in keeping with the destruction of everything good and virtuous in this nation, this year, God has been removed as the recipient of thanks on Thanksgiving.
On Wednesday, President Biden released his Thanksgiving proclamation for 2023.
For the first time in American history, the proclamation completely omitted any reference to God or faith.
As a nation founded on Judeo-Christian values, this disturbing omission shows how far we have strayed from the original spirit behind America’s national day of Thanksgiving.
The pilgrims who celebrated the first Thanksgiving in 1621 were devout Christians fleeing religious persecution. Their celebration followed a brutal first year in the New World, where nearly half their population perished. Despite unimaginable hardship, their faith remained unshaken. They credited God for sustaining them and bringing them their first successful harvest.
This theme carried through the centuries, with presidents honoring God in their Thanksgiving proclamations. George Washington implored all Americans to acknowledge God’s “providence,” and to “unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations.”
On Nov. 28, 1861, Lincoln declared that all government offices would be closed on Thanksgiving Day, writing in his proclamation, “No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things…I do, therefore, invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”
Former President Donald Trump proclaimed in his 2020 Thanksgiving address, “On Thanksgiving Day, we thank God for the abundant blessings in our lives…I encourage all Americans to gather, in homes and places of worship, to offer a prayer of thanks to God for our many blessings.”
While some president’s speeches may have been more devout than others over the years, Biden is the first president to delete God from his Thanksgiving proclamation altogether.
In his proclamation, Biden declared, “This Thanksgiving, we are grateful for our Nation and the incredible soul of America.”
Grateful to whom?
Gratitude without a recipient is like a fake Christmas gift under a department store tree. The wrapping is pretty, but it’s ultimately worthless and empty.
Sadly, Thanksgiving has been becoming a more secular holiday with every passing year, and it seems like Biden decided to put the final nail in the coffin.
If we cannot even name the ultimate Source in which all Americans, regardless of creed, are rooted historically, we are adrift from the moorings with no destination and no anchor to hold us firm.
https://thefederalistpapers.org/opinion/biden-officially-tries-remove-god-thanksgiving-2023-proclamation#google_vignette
