"I therefore, beg to move, " Franklin continued, "that henceforth
prayers imploring the assistance of heaven and its blessings on the
deliberations to be held every morning before we proceed to business. "
History further tells us that his suggestion was adopted by the Con-
vention and that from that moment forward the affairs of the Conven-
tion moved in an orderly and productive fashion. All of us are
familiar with the language of the great document that was produced.

Our military history has a long and impressive list of occasions
when our leaden invoked the blessing of the Almighty in their tasks.
Two of the most famous of these were at Bunker Hill and Pearl
Harbor. It was at Bunker Hill that Captain William Prescott, when
passing among his men on the eve of battle, encouraged them with
the now-famed words: "Keep your faith in God, men, and keep your
powder dry. " It was during the attack on Pearl Harbor that a Navy
chaplain, standing on the deck of a sinking battleship that was still
engaged in the fight, said: "Praise the Lord and pass the ammuni-
tion. "

Governments, as we know, can and do exist under atheism, but in
my opinion it is impossible for a democratic form of government to
exist without a firm foundation in religion. I say this because to me
religion and democracy are founded upon the same basic principles.
Religion teaches the brotherhood of man. A religious man is one who
loves and respects his fellow man. A democracy also believes in the
brotherhood of man, and it acknowledges, honors and protects the
rights of all men. How, then, can a man believe in God and not
accept the principles of a democratic society? And how can a man
believe in such society, and in the God-given rights of his fellow man,
and not believe in the principles of religion?

Bishop William Temple, one of England's leading clerics of this
century, has said that one of the functions of the church is to act
as the conscience of men in their corporate existence—in government,
among other things. It is my belief that the church and the government
are partners in the management of the affairs of the people. If either
should falter, both may fail. Therefore, in the best interests of both,
and in the best interests of the entire world, we should encourage our
church leaders to take a greater interest in their government and we
should encourage the leaders of our government to take a greater
interest in their church.

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