July 10, 2016
E Pluribus Unum
It’s on the Great Seal of the United States. It was the unofficial motto of the United Stares of America until a 1956 law, making “In God We Trust” our first official national motto. Today, it appears on many of our national documents and as part of the President’s AND the Vice President’s seals.
In 1776, it was suggested by Pierre Eugene du Simitiere as he worked on a committee to design the Great Seal. He had come to America from Switzerland, where he was born, by way of the West Indies. What the phrase meant was important to him.
It means “Out of many, ONE.”
According to Wikipedia (which is certainly no “right wing rag,”) it means:
“… out of many states (or colonies) emerges a single nation. However, in recent years its meaning has come to suggest that out of many peoples, races, religions, languages, and ancestries has emerged a single people and nation—illustrating the concept of the melting pot.”
Both of those things could be understood as its meaning. But I believe that Pierre Eugene du Simitiere meant the second meaning as more appropriate, even from the very beginning. Yes, the 13 British Colonies were coming together as one nation to form the United States of America. But I think it was far more significant to Pierre that it meant “out of many peoples – nations, ethnic groups – our nation has emerged as a single entity.” He was an immigrant himself, as were many other Americans, even in 1776. He probably didn’t care about the differences between the colonies of Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, or any of the nine others. But he would have understood from the very beginning 240 years ago this July 4th, that the USA is more about people coming – people who were welcome here – from all over the world, to become part of a new thing: a Republic. This experiment, which was not the norm anywhere in the world in 1776, was different – it truly was, as Lincoln would say “Four score and seven years” later, a “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
So what do “the people” mean, exactly? Is it like “drops of water in an endless sea” – all the same… all just part of a whole, but with no differences at all? Not in the least! What they understood then – what we NEED to understand now – is that the “people” of America are, first and foremost – individuals. We are individuals that are unique in the way we have been put together by our Creator. It’s like Paul’s discussion of “The Body of Christ (the Messiah)” in 1 Corinthians 12, right before the famous “love” chapter, 1 Corinthians 13. Even though we are all parts of one Whole, we are individually gifted to play a specific role in that unity of believers called the church. We don’t just have a single gift of the Spirit – we have a unique combination of gifts.
In the same way, we as Americans are part of a whole – a nation called the United States of America – but we remain unique individuals. The world outside the USA has always recognized this about us – commenting that American individualism is different from what they have. Our cultural creations are often about the individualism (as in our Western movies). We have individual Freedoms; we act as single individuals – but yet we are part of a group: “We, the People of the United States…” Our families are important… our communities are important… our local areas are important… our states are important… our national regions are important… our nation is important. But what makes the American ideal so different is its foundation on the individual.
Look at our quintessential American movies. For example, “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” captures the individualistic/national spirit of what it means to be an American. Senator Smith does a filibuster to stand firm against those who would corrupt our political system. He stands for what it means to “breathe free.” Listen to some of his speeches – you will understand the meaning of American style Freedom. It is not licentiousness; it is a personal sense of dignity that exists nowhere else for such a large number of people than it does here. Here are just two sections of two speeches. Notice – he says “no matter his race, color, or creed.” This was 1938. The “Master Race” was planning the extermination of those “degenerate Jews” in Europe. During the time when this movie was being made and prepared for release, Kristallnacht happened – “The Night of Broken Glass,” the unofficial start of the Holocaust that would eventually take the lives of over 6 million Jews.
[After reading the Declaration of Independence] Now, you’re not gonna have a country that can make these kind of rules work, if you haven’t got men that have learned to tell human rights from a punch in the nose. [The Senate applauds] It’s a funny thing about men, you know. They all start life being boys. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if some of these Senators were boys once. And that’s why it seemed like a pretty good idea for me to get boys out of crowded cities and stuffy basements for a couple of months out of the year. And build their bodies and minds for a man-sized job, because those boys are gonna be behind these desks some of these days. And it seemed like a pretty good idea, getting boys from all over the country, boys of all nationalities and ways of living. Getting them together. Let them find out what makes different people tick the way they do. Because I wouldn’t give you two cents for all your fancy rules if, behind them, they didn’t have a little bit of plain, ordinary, everyday kindness and a – a little lookin’ out for the other fella, too…That’s pretty important, all that. It’s just the blood and bone and sinew of this democracy that some great men handed down to the human race, that’s all!
There’s no compromise with truth. That’s all I got up on this floor to say. When was it? A year ago, it seems like….Just get up off the ground, that’s all I ask. Get up there with that lady that’s up on top of this Capitol dome, that lady that stands for liberty. Take a look at this country through her eyes if you really want to see something. And you won’t just see scenery; you’ll see the whole parade of what Man’s carved out for himself, after centuries of fighting. Fighting for something better than just jungle law, fighting so’s he can stand on his own two feet, free and decent, like he was created, no matter what his race, color, or creed. That’s what you’d see. There’s no place out there for graft, or greed, or lies, or compromise with human liberties. And, uh, if that’s what the grownups have done with this world that was given to them, then we’d better get those boys’ camps started fast and see what the kids can do. And it’s not too late, because this country is bigger than the Taylors, or you, or me, or anything else. Great principles don’t get lost once they come to light. They’re right here; you just have to see them again!
It’s Rick Blaine, Humphrey Bogart’s character in “Casablanca” (1942). Despite his cynicism and apparent refusal to pick sides, he does what’s right, standing against the Nazis. Notice – when the Nazis sing, there are no individuals, just one monolithic whole. But when the others in the bar start singing “La Marseille” , it’s the individuals singing together, but each is unique and different. Even though they’re not Americans, THAT’S the meaning of the American meaning of e pluribus unum. The Nazis are the globalists.
It’s George Bailey, Jimmy Stewart’s character in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” He stands against the evil Mr. Potter, who wants complete control over everybody else with no individuals under him. Mr. Potter is the globalist, the George Soros of his day. There’s a reason why this movie is so popular every year: it speaks to us, again, about an individual taking a stand for righteousness, who is deeply flawed himself (like Rick), but who, with some Divine assistance, refuses to quit – again, the individual American taking a stand for righteousness, no matter what it costs him.
It’s Will Kane, Gary Cooper’s character in “High Noon” (1952), who takes a stand for what’s right by refusing to back down when the bad guys come to town. Even though none of the other people in the town will help him, he stands along for the righteous cause of protecting the town’s people anyway.
It’s Terry Malloy, Marlon Brando’s character in “On the Waterfront” (1954), who refuses to back down to the mob boss and his thugs. He stands alone, again, to do the right thing. After testifying against the mob boss, and getting beat to a bloody pulp, he famously confronts his enemies and says “I’m glad what I done to you!” Again, the individual standing alone for what is right.
It’s even Maria and the von Trappes in “The Sound of Music.” Yes, I know they’re Austrians (no Americans in sight), but the MESSAGE is an American message. They take a stand for righteousness against the Nazis (globalists). Rolph, turns into a Nazi, subjugating his will to the “Master Race.” He slips up only momentarily when he lets them go, which is the right thing to do, but in the eyes of the globalists, it’s a mistake.
It’s Thomas More in “A Man For All Seasons.” (1966) Yes – I know, he’s British – but where do we think we got our ideas of Freedom from? He, again, takes a stand against the monolithic monarchy of Henry the Eighth (who will put up with no dissent). Thomas doesn’t just have to not say anything about where he believes the king is wrong; he’s not even allowed to THINK against what the king demands.
It’s Rocky Balboa in Sylvester Stallone’s “Rocky” (1976) He’s not just a quintessential guy from Philadelphia; he’s a quintessential American. That movie touched a nerve in Americans because – once again – here’s a guy standing against the odds, doing the right thing (by taking care of his reluctant teen-aged cousin, by loving Adrian, by turning away from the mob, etc.), defeating his own weaknesses before he nearly defeats Apollo Creed. And – even though he loses the fight, we all know he’s a winner. That’s an American!
It’s both Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams in “Chariots of Fire” (1981). Yes – again, the characters are Brits, but they touch the American soul. The Americans in the movie are, as first, monolithic. But it’s American Jackson Scholz who gives Eric the Scripture verse that drives him (among other things) during the final race. The Brits are all individuals, doing things unique to themselves, Eric, of course, is motivated – uniquely – by his love for the Lord; “God made me for China. But He also made me fast! And when I run, I feel His pleasure!” Harold runs to be the best; he goes his own way and hires Sam as his coach. He also is driven by his desire to show that a Jewish runner is just as good as anyone in the world – no, BETTER! Ashley is a unique individual, as is Andrew. Very American, even in a movie where the Americans are perceived as the enemy!
Did you ever watch one of those Communist rallies, like was on display at the Beijing Olympics? The whole goal is to have NO individuals – every one of the thousands of people involved is to subjugate themselves to the whole. In Communism, individuals are unimportant (unless you’re a leader). It’s the state that is all important. Look at the monolithic, fake responses when the North Korean dictator died a few years ago – that’s NOT American… that’s what the globalists want us to be: “just drops of water in an endless sea.” Did you also notice – most politicians (especially Democrat) print signs that all look exactly the same? Sign after sign after sign – same size, same colors, same slogan. They want their people not to think for themselves; they want to give the impression that they are monolithic – not independent individuals who are being challenged to think, but mindless automatons. Just like pro-death – pro-abortion… sorry, pro-choice robots, who ALWAYS carry the same round blue signs? Do you think they’re encouraging individual thought? All of these are encouraging NO thoughts by their followers… NOT UNLIKE those happy smiling seas of Communists, who look exactly like every other Communist… “drops of water in an endless sea.”
That should NOT be America – but that’s what the globalists want their followers to be: angry, mindless, with a canned answer for everything. “Donald Trump is a racist!” they scream, with no evidence whatsoever (other than the fact that he wants to control the border). ‘White people are all racists!” Why? Apparently because they’re “white” [sic]. The lack of logic is profound in today’s culture!
OK – the reason for all the division that IS BEING ENCOURAGED BY THE GLOBALISTS is to grab power and silence those who disagree with them (like me). They WANT “Black Lives Matter” to exist and thrive. My movement – “All Lives Matter” – they don’t want to exist because that’s a SOLUTION to our problems. The globalists want to encourage division so THEY can come to the rescue. No more individualism – we must all think alike. By encouraging a racist hate group, the globalists have created a crisis (they are even CALLING it “America in Crisis). We’re in a crisis. All right – but it’s because we’ve allowed ourselves to be manipulated by the globalist media (which I refer to as “Lickspittles” because they have allowed the truth to take second place to globalist propaganda).
E pluribus unum is that central to what it means to be an American. We are “Out of Many, One.” We came to this country in many different ways, for many different reasons. Some came as slaves – but, like Joseph and his brothers in Scripture, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.” Yes – slavery was evil (and IS evil; modern slavery is SUPPORTED by the globalists!). Jim Crow WAS evil. The Dred Scott Decision WAS wrong. But – slavery in America was abolished by the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and subsequent laws to give freedom and rights to all former slaves. Nothing is ever perfect in human government, but – think about this – very few former slaves wanted to go back to Africa (and those that did … Liberia is a basket case today!) The former slaves knew that this nation was their best chance for living the lives that they wanted to live. And – not coincidently – slaves and former slaves REALIZED that, despite the genuinely bad things that they had to deal with – poverty, discrimination – the Lord Yahweh BLESSED them with a genuine faith. The irony is: while many slave owners taught their religion to their slaves, they were usually not genuine believers themselves (even then, many thought they were too educated and sophisticated to take religion SERIOUSLY). But – listen to the ones who probably would not have heard the True Word of God if they had stayed in Africa. Many in previous generations of African-Americans understood these truths; many in the modern generations think that genuine faith in Jesus is “slave religion.”
You know – the same thing is really true of me. If my ancestors had not come to America (my earliest ancestor came over in 1894), I probably would have stayed a Roman Catholic. While a lot of former Roman Catholic Italian-Americans get saved and are blessed with a genuine faith in their Savior (like me), in Italy, a very small percentage of Roman Catholics get saved. So – providentially, I am grateful that I was born in a nation where the Truth about Jesus can get out and the gospel can still be openly preached. I understood English, so I could hear and read people like C. S. Lewis, Josh McDowell, and John MacArthur. If I had been born in the land of my ancestors – who knows?
The point is – we HAVE to NOT listen to the globalists, encouraging division. We are Americans; we come from everywhere on the globe, but we become ONE (E pluribus Unum ), not because of ethnicity (because we can never be truly united on THAT basis), but because of IDEAS. We are a Republic, governed, not really by people, but by a Constitution. We believe in individual Freedom, but not licentiousness. We recognize that to be an American, we believe in ideals that give us maximum Freedom, under the rule of Law. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that ALL MEN are created equal, that they are endowed by their CREATOR with certain inalienable rights, among these are LIFE, LIBERTY, and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.”
We are, or should be, “One Nation under God (that is, Elohim, Yahweh, Abba Father).
We are, or should be, “Out of Many, ONE.”
Or we stop being Americans, no matter what we call ourselves.