America, the ‘Last Bastion of Freedom’
“I believe that God’s hope is for freedom on the earth,” said True Father, as he spoke before members of Congress in June 1984. “The survival of the entire world depends on America fulfilling its responsibility. America is the last bastion of freedom.”
Today, America celebrates Bill of Rights Day, which commemorates the first 10 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution that were ratified on December 15, 1791. The bill — introduced by James Madison, who later became the fourth U.S. President — established this important day to celebrate the framework of society that ascribes rights and freedoms to our citizens.
The 10 Amendments (known as the Bill of Rights) protect the most basic rights of Americans, including notions like freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, the right to protest, and equal protection under the law, among others. A first in human history, the Bill of Rights has proven to be one of the most influential documents in modern times, codifying the theory of natural rights, which holds that humans are granted certain freedoms and liberties by God.
Since the inception of the Unification movement, True Parents have often spoken about the importance of America and our God-given freedoms, as well as exercising our rights with responsibility and love. As we observe Bill of Rights Day, we honor the sanctity of the freedoms God has bestowed upon every human being, and God’s hope of America leading the way to establishing the kingdom of peace on earth.
Below is an excerpt from True Father’s 1976 speech, “America and God’s Will,” which shares the historic responsibility of our nation to the rest of the world.
God is eternal, unchanging, unique and absolute. If those are the qualities of God, His purpose of Creation must also be eternal, unchanging and absolute. In the beginning, God's ideal was to create one world of unity and harmony. Today, however, our world has no unity or harmony... Clearly, something is fundamentally wrong.
Religion has an explanation: It says that this worldwide division is the result of our first ancestors' rebellion against God, the Fall of Adam and Eve... The human Fall brought about this fallen world. To be restored as an original person, we must reverse the process of the Fall... God's formula to restore us is for us to become God-like. This means that we must become completely selfless and public-minded...
God sent Jesus Christ as the Messiah. God's hope was that the chosen nation and religion would become one with Jesus, establish the kingdom of God on earth and restore the world to God... Jesus was not accepted as the Messiah, and finally was crucified. Thus, God's kingdom remained a promise, not a reality. However, Jesus opened the way to spiritual salvation and started Christianity...
[Eventually] the British Empire started on its path to become the greatest power in the world... However, Britain persecuted the Puritans and was apathetic toward the reforming spirit. The persecuted people had to look for a land of hope. They were united by a common destiny. Transcending race and national barriers and fleeing persecution, they came to the New World, the American continent.
Today, America and Christianity together must take up the sacred task of world restoration. America must unite the cultures of the West and the East, as well as the Middle East, and create one great, unified culture, ultimately fulfilling the mission of establishing the kingdom of God on earth.
The United States of America, transcending race and nationality, is already a model of the unified world. The people of the United States must realize that the abundant blessings God has been pouring upon this land are not just for America but for all human beings throughout the world...
One world under God is the unchanging, eternal and absolute desire of God. This goal will be realized... when all people worship one God as their Father, accept one Messiah and uphold Godism, an absolutely God-centered way of life.
You can read the 2021 national proclamation of Bill of Rights Day from President Joe Biden here.