Historic Replicas

Throughout history, war and religion have often been closely linked.  The Ancient Romans and Vikings both believed their Gods compelled them to attack and conquer neighboring peoples, and while the idea of a religiously motivated empire state can seem primitive and outdated, many more modern cultures have had a similar attitude.  America has always been a religious country, and American politicians and religious leaders have often described us as God’s “chosen people.”  They pointed to the vast country they’d been given to inhabit, a “new Eden,” as it was sometimes called, and the abundance of natural resources that lay within its borders. 

In 1845, a newspaper columnist named John O’Sullivan coined another phrase, “manifest destiny,” to describe the role of the American people in human affairs.  The phrase has meant different things over the centuries; at best, it implies a sense of responsibility to other peoples and an obligation to use our nation’s power and influence to ensure their well being.  To most Americans, this meant encouraging the spread of democracy and the God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, as well as the spread of Christianity in order to save souls of more primitive peoples.  Unfortunately, those noble goals could be used to justify almost anything.  It basically meant that Americans believed their values and way of life were superior to all others, and that they had a right to impose these things on other people.  This was how the government defended turning its western guns against the Native Americans, which is great evidence that religion and politics don’t always mix.