President Woodrow Wilson
wrote the Preface to a pocket Bible in 1917, which was passed out by the
thousands to American soldiers sailing across the Atlantic to fight in
France and Belgium during World War I:
"The Bible is the Word of
Life. I beg that you will read it and find this out for yourselves,
-read, not little snatches here and there, but long passages that will
really be the road to the heart of it.
You
will find it full of real men and women not only, but also of the
things you have wondered about and been troubled about all your life, as
men have been always;
and the more you read the more it will
become plain to you what things are worth while and what are not, what
things make men happy,-loyalty, right dealing, speaking the truth,
readiness to give everything for what they think their duty, and, most
of all, the wish that they may have the approval of the Christ, who gave
everything for them,
-and the things that are guaranteed to make men unhappy,-selfishness, cowardice, greed, and everything that is low and mean.
When
you have read the Bible you will know it is the Word of God, because
you will have found in it the key to your own heart, your own happiness,
and your own duty.- Woodrow Wilson."
General John J. Pershing wrote a message, August 10, 1917, inscribed in the Preface of New Testaments given to soldiers:
"To
the American Soldier aroused against a nation waging war in violation
of all Christian principles. Our people are fighting in the cause of
Liberty.
Hardships
will be your lot, but trust in God will give you comfort; temptation
will befall you, but the teachings of our Savior will give you strength.
Let
your valor as a soldier and your conduct as a man be an inspiration to
your comrades and an honor to your country.-Pershing, Comdg."
In
1917, at the request of the New York Bible Society, Theodore Roosevelt
wrote a message which was inscribed in pocket New Testaments given to
World War I soldiers:
"The teachings of the New Testament are
foreshadowed in Micah's verse(Micah vi. 8): 'What more does the Lord
require of thee than to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk
humbly with thy God?'
DO
JUSTICE; and therefore fight valiantly against the armies of Germany
and Turkey, for these nations in this crisis stand for the reign of
Moloch and Beelzebub on this earth.
LOVE MERCY; treat prisoners
well, succor the wounded, treat every woman as if she was your sister,
care for the little children, and be tender to the old and helpless.
WALK HUMBLY; You will do so if you study the life and teachings of the Saviour.
May the God of justice and mercy have you in His keeping.-Theodore Roosevelt."
On
January 25, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt wrote the prologue of
a special Gideons' edition of the New Testament & Book of Psalms
distributed to millions of World War II soldiers:
"As
Commander-in-Chief, I take pleasure in commending the reading of the
Bible to all who serve in the armed forces of the United States.
Throughout
the centuries men of many faiths and diverse origins have found in the
Sacred Book words of wisdom, counsel and inspiration.
It is a
fountain of strength and now, as always, an aid in attaining the highest
aspirations of the human soul.-Franklin D. Roosevelt."
In 2012,
the Museum of Biblical Art in New York had an exhibition, "Finding
Comfort in Difficult Times: A Selection of Soldiers' Bibles," which
showcased three dozen copies of Scriptures, published by the American
Bible Society for the U.S. Armed Forces from the Civil War to the
present, from pocket size leather-bound to camouflaged.
The
American Bible Society, founded in 1816, supplied Bibles to sailors on
the frigate USS John Adams in 1817, to both sides during the Civil War,
and to Pony Express riders.
Presidents and Vice-Presidents of the
American Bible Society included: the First Supreme Court Chief Justice
John Jay; Continental Congress members Richard Varick and Elias
Boudinot; and U.S. Presidents John Quincy Adams, Rutherford B. Hayes and
Benjamin Harrison.
Francis Scott Key, author of "The Star Spangled Banner," supported the American Bible Society, as did Abraham Lincoln.
A
Joint Resolution of the 97th U.S. Congress proclaimed a "Year of the
Bible," signed by Democrat Speaker of the House Tip O'Neil and
Republican President of the Senate Strom Thurmond.
On OCTOBER 4, 1982, President Ronald Reagan signed the Bill making 1983 the "Year of the Bible":
"Now,
therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America,
in recognition of the contributions and influence of the Bible on our
Republic and our people, do hereby proclaim 1983 the Year of the Bible
in the United States.
I encourage all citizens, each in his or her own way, to reexamine and rediscover its priceless and timeless message."
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