The Invisible Hand's reporter Tim Tompkins a.k.a Lex Rex sat down with Abraham Lincoln to talk about His Faith on the occasion of his 200th Birthday on February 12, 1809, coincidentally Abraham Lincoln shares the same birth date as Charles Darwin, who also was born on February 12, 1809. Both individuals who put a mark on History, share the same Birthday and are celebrating 200 years, each man made an impact, but their views in regard to Faith differ dramatically. Today I speak with President Abraham Lincoln, the questions are completely editorial, but Mr. Lincoln's answers are word for word.
Lex Rex: Mr. Lincoln this picture of you reading to Tad, many people say that is the Bible you are reading?
Lincoln: "Most people, suppose the book a large clasped Bible, whereas it was a big photograph album which the photographer, had hit upon as a good device to use in this way to ring the two sitters together."
Lex Rex: Mr. Lincoln, what has the Bible meant to you?
Lincoln: “In regard to this Great book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man’s welfare, here and hereafter, are to be found portrayed in it."
Lex Rex: Mr. Lincoln, is it true, that you are not a member of a church?
Lincoln: "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 disrespect of religion in general, or of any denomination of Christians in particular."
Lex Rex: In the Stephen Douglas debate, you compared "all men are created equal" to a standard in God's word, can you explain?
Lincoln: “My friend has said to me that I am a poor hand to quote Scripture. I will try it again, however. It is said in one of the admonitions of the Lord, ‘As your Father in Heaven is perfect, be ye also perfect.’ The Savior, I suppose, did not expect that any human creature could be perfect as the Father in Heaven; but He said, ‘As your Father in Heaven is perfect, be ye also perfect.’ He set that up as a standard, and he who did most towards reaching that standard, attained the highest degree of moral perfection. So I say in relation to the principle that all men are created equal, let it be as nearly reached as we can.’”
Lex Rex: Mr. Lincoln, do you believe the Bible is true and should we use it as a people to give us direction?
Lincoln: “Now, let us treat the Bible fairly. If we had a witness on the stand whose general story we knew was true, we would believe him when he asserted facts of which we had no other evidence. We ought to treat the bible with equal fairness. I decided a long time ago that it was less difficult to believe that the Bible was what it claimed to be than to disbelieve it. It is a good book for us to obey – it contains the ten commandments, the Golden Rule, and many other rules which ought to be followed. No man was ever the worse for living according to the directions of the Bible.”
Lex Rex: Mr. Lincoln, the Bible has been a source of your deep conviction in the Providence of God on the USA, explain this?
Lincoln: "Such a man the times have demanded, and such, in the providence of God was given us. But he is gone. Let us strive to deserve, as far as mortals may, the continued care of Divine Providence, trusting that, in future national emergencies, He will not fail to provide us the instruments of safety and security."
Lex Rex: Mr. Lincoln, are you a firm believer that God made you, and by God's making He gave you unalienable rights?
Lincoln: "'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.'" This was their majestic interpretation of the economy of the Universe. This was their lofty, and wise, and noble understanding of the justice of the Creator to His creatures. Yes, gentlemen, to all His creatures, to the whole great family of man. In their enlightened belief, nothing stamped with the Divine image and likeness was sent into the world to be trodden on, and degraded, and imbruted by its fellows. They grasped not only the whole race of man then living, but they reached forward and seized upon the farthest posterity. They erected a beacon to guide their children and their children's children, and the countless myriads who should inhabit the earth in other ages. Wise statesmen as they were, they knew the tendency of prosperity to breed tyrants, and so they established these great self-evident truths, that when in the distant future some man, some faction, some interest, should set up the doctrine that none but rich men, or none but white men, were entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, their posterity might look up again to the Declaration of Independence and take courage to renew the battle which their fathers began -- so that truth, and justice, and mercy, and all the humane and Christian virtues might not be extinguished from the land; so that no man would hereafter dare to limit and circumscribe the great principles on which the temple of liberty was being built."
Lex Rex: Mr. Lincoln, as you are aware, this is the 200th anniversary of your birth and also the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth, the author of "The Origin of Species," how do you see the the belief of Evolution in this culture and how do you think God views the whole argument?
Lincoln: "The will of God prevails. In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be wrong. God can not be for and against the same thing at the same time."
Lex Rex: The last question, On your 200th anniversary do you have any words for the People of the United States?
Lincoln: "Let us renew our trust in God, and go forward without fear, and with manly hearts."
Thank you, Mr. President for this time and sharing your faith to the American People, God Bless the USA.
-Lex Rex
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