Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Politics and Religion
Was ‘Rededicate 250’ Really One Nation Under God?

Was ‘Rededicate 250’ Really One Nation Under God?

Last updated on: July 4, 2026 at 7:50 am by Mark Wilson

Was ‘Rededicate 250’ Really One Nation Under God? 2026-07-04T07:50:12-05:00 Mark Wilson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Happy Fourth of July
Happy 250th Birthday America

Back on May 17, 2026, the White House sponsored an event called Rededicate 250 on the National Mall.

The event Freedom 250 Invited All Americans to Come Together in Prayer and Worship Ahead of the Nation’s 250th Birthday, which is today July 4, 2026.

They hyped it up as a historic gathering of Americans of every background across the country in which they would participate in a rededication of our country as One Nation to God.

But was it really that?

My friend Avellina Balestri, who is prolific Catholic writer**,** had some commentary about the event and about the Fourth of July in general that I think is relevant on this day we call Independence Day. She said I could share her words she penned on Facebook.

Her perspective is unique and thought provoking and is worth listening to even if you come away with a different conclusion then she has.

You can read more about Avellina at:

The Fellowship & Fairydust Of Avellina Balestri
A Look At The Writings Of Author Avellina Balestri

So…some thoughts on the Rededicate America 250 event in D.C. Let’s face it: It was not even trying to be anything but a Trump administration hype fest for its own primary base.

Almost everyone was Evangelical, with a few token Catholics and a Jewish rabbi thrown in for good measure. But it did not even feel remotely like a balanced effort. I honestly wouldn’t have even cared much if it was an all-Christian event (historically, the colonies were, by a vast majority, Christian, at the very least culturally, even if some practitioners leaned Deist), but seriously, there wasn’t even an effort to balance the denominations represented. I personally would have done a thing where the different historical denominations involved in the actual founding each covered a slice of their own spiritual tradition and historical connection to Colonial/Revolutionary/Early Republic America (Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, Quakers, Catholics, etc.). Would have actually made for some interesting viewing. But no. That’s not what this was for; it was for a very particular demographic, not representative of the wider sphere of American Christianity.

Now, what I also would have done is had two *separate* programs, the latter which was more an interfaith invitation for people of different faiths to represent how they were part of the American patchwork, before and after this particular government structure ever came into existence (i.e. ranging from traditions of Native American tribes, to Islam by way of some Sub-Saharan slaves, to Judaism in New York City and Georgia, to Buddhism among Chinese immigration during the age of the Gold Rush and Railroad.) But again, being instructive, inclusive, and even historically wide-reaching was not the goal if the event. Nor did it seem to be the goal to balance Christian representation in a way that could even make all of us feel reasonably in sync with the proceedings. Mind you, I am not surprised by it being essentially a rededication to Trump fest; I just feel sad we could not have done so much better with the bare-bones idea of acknowledging the importance if faith, and particularly Christianity, in this land.

Paul Stahr’s personified Columbia in an American flag gown and Phrygian cap, from a World War I patriotic poster (c. 1917)

Now, before anyone misunderstands me, I am sure quite a few of the participants, on stage and in the audience, were well-intentioned, and God will consider those intentions. I am not the sort of person who typically cuts off people with different political/religious views from me, so I have friends I consider to be decent people at heart who I care about in this demographic, who identify as MAGA Evangelicals. To them, I am “progressive”; how an orthodox Catholic primarily known to argue in defense of sacramental kingship and against abortion gets that title I know not, but here we are. The whole right/left dynamic is a sloppy categorization method anyway. Last I did one of those online tests, I was a “Libertarian/Authoritarian,” whatever that actually means. I just consider myself a Catholic, steeped in our dynamic history, spirituality, and social teaching.

And now swinging back around to the two names making a splash of controversy in Catholic circles for their participation at the event: Bishop Robert Barron and Cardinal Timothy Dolan. First full disclosure: I have always liked both (one of whom I had the pleasure of meeting in person) and still do. They have helped me grow deeply in my faith over many years. This does not mean I agree with their every decision or political alignment since the ascendancy of the Trump administration. And that’s okay. Good Lord, you all must know the drill by now; I critique whatever I think needs critiquing, from wherever it comes. A couple weeks ago, I was doing so regarding the King, God save him. I will also say good things about people I don’t particularly align with whenever I can find them. In turn, I strive to have as much grace and thick skin as possible when critiqued, and sometimes outright attacked, by others.

Archibald Willard – Archibald Willard

Now, back to the event: If I were Barron and Dolan, would I have attended this event if asked? Almost certainly. That should come as no great surprise, given the sheer diversity of the places I have written and been interviewed on. I tend to view it like this: I can only be held responsible for my own words and deeds, and I appreciate being able to express them and get whatever message out I am trying to share with as wide an audience as possible. It does not translate into a blanket endorsement of everything everyone else is doing on that platform. Obviously, there are layers of prudential judgment to this, and I have toed the line at certain points. But I understand why Barron and Dolan chose to participate in the event. Again, there is no question that they (especially Barron at this point) are much more comfortable with the Trump administration than I can ever be; I still love them for all they have done for the faith in this country and beyond, and honor their roles as princes of the Church.

Moving on to the meat and potatoes: What did I think of their speeches? I may be prejudiced (probably am; we all have our prejudices), but out of this assembly of presenters, I think the Catholic came off as having two of the most thoughtful and deep contributions. That does not mean there were not problems. Focusing primarily on some of Barron’s remarks, but using them as a springboard to address other common talking points worthy of critique, I will say this: The influences behind the declaration of independence from Britain and the founding of the American Republic are a very mixed bag. It was indeed something unprecedented for being a rebellion not primarily about religious beliefs and dynastic claims, nor even because the power in place was so egregiously monstrous, but rather as a matter of choice. In essence, the American Revolution was a willful defiance of the established order up to that point, which said that if the people chose to change governments…they could so. It was their right to do so. It was indeed an evolution based upon Enlightenment thought.

Panel of an altarpiece from Ascoli Piceno, Italy, by Carlo Crivelli (15th century)

Yes, Thomas Aquinas and Samuel Rutherford spoke of wicked tyrants who brutalized their people and/or betrayed the Covenant with the Lord, who might, possibly, in the last extreme, need to be removed. But they were adamant about how grave and inherently dangerous such a case would be, establishing a horrible precedent that spawned a degeneration of the social order and religious establishment. So to assume they, and others like them, would approve of the American Revolution is quite the leap. Because ultimately, the American split from Britain was far less about disputes over taxation methods and maritime trade regulations. It was about not wanting to be colonies anymore, and thus declaring themselves no longer colonies. Whether this type of self-determination is a good or bad thing is, I believe, up in the air, but it certainly was unprecedented in most traditional Christian thought. Yes, yes, you could be an orthodox and even devout Christian who ended up supporting the American Revolution, and even use Biblical language for justification. But it was a departure.

What was not a departure from traditional Christian thought was the idea that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights. Go read up on any pious saint or sovereign; they all agree that, regardless of birth, rank, wealth, or any other considerations, humans are equal in as much as they are created with God with immortal souls, and as such have inherent dignity which demands due consideration of them as children of God, even among the most vulnerable. It also demands humility before God from the rulers of the world. Queen Mary II was a wonderful example of this, saying “vanity of vanities, all is vanity” when looking upon her own crown, and later saying she only considered power to be of any good at all if it might be used for the benefit of others. King George III likewise understood this, taking off his crown when receiving communion on his coronation day, and crossing out “our gracious king” and putting in “a miserable sinner” in his personal copy of the Book of Common Prayer.

Because that’s something that hardly ever gets addressed in these speeches about faith during the American Revolution: More than many of the famous founders, there is George III, the devout Christian, who took his role as king with utmost seriousness as a religious duty. Anecdotes abound (anyone who knows me knows how much I love to tell them) about how his faith overflowed into his treatment of others, including the most lowly. Yes, of course, he was a sinner like us (he knew that well enough) and a man of his time and place. But he was no tyrant, no monster, and no one who any Christian should have been ashamed to call their king. The disputes within Britain as much as in America over parliamentary jurisdiction, or lack thereof, over colonies, I cannot, for the life of me, square that with any sort of reasonable interpretation of established precedent for just war theory or foreswearing allegiance to a sovereign.

This came to birth messianic language regarding to new American experiment, in which the declaration of Independence essentially became a new credo, and the story of the Exodus and Redemption was in a sense superseded for the latter day (certainly that was the take of some of the more radical Deist types, like Paine and Jefferson). The imagery of the Rededicate 250 event, of overt religious and nationalistic imagery mixed, continued to stay true to that vibe. Ironically, you might say this itself is a certain bringing to fruition of the identification of the church as a wing of the state and gave rise to a cult of nationalist emphasis in England after the Anglican split; despite genuinely good and pious Anglicans, such as Queen Mary II and King George II, I believe the underpinnings of the settlement they inherited would spell out the downfall of their own worldview.

Deaf & dumb children of St. Rita’s School, Cincinnati, singing Star Spangled Banner

Again, it is a legitimate course of debate to say those changes in perspective were good and that “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” actually meant comparatively low-yield disputes could be used as a springboard to execute to the will of the people by saying “we out,” supposedly rendering previous allegiances dissolved by fiat. But at least let’s not try to paper over the mixed feelings we probably should have as Catholics, and indeed Christians overall, about this type of logic and the kind of modern world it has given rise to. Perhaps we are not being critical enough of the origins of the current government in the sheer interest of acceptance. And that reflects so directly on, I think, a valid critique involving Catholic involvement in this current administration. And also, the way in which some Catholics begin to pick up tropes and language from the Evangelical camp, at the expense of our own tradition, with its history, theology, and wonderful depth and nuance.- May 19, 2026

Pope Leo XIV@Pontifex (12:30 PM · Jul 3, 2026) A country’s vitality is deeply tied to the value it affords to human life in every form and condition, acknowledging the dignity endowed upon every human person by virtue of their very existence. The moral greatness of a nation is manifested, above all, in its capacity to support, protect and cherish the lives of all, especially the most vulnerable and those whose worth is questioned.

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, a new six-part, 12-hour documentary directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt examines how America’s founding turned the world upside-down

Politics and Religion

History and Religion

Previous Post

June 28, 2026

Meet Up and Coming Catholic Children's Writer Nikos Lambdin

Next Post

July 9, 2026 Meet Catholic Writer and Data Analyst Stephanie Quesnelle

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 1889 abortion adoption Advent After Life Angles apologetics Art Awards BCCT bible book review books business Carmelite Catechetics Catholic Actors catholic authors Catholic Bard Catholic Faith Catholic List Catholic Rigorous Vortex Christian Authors Christmas church teaching civil conversation coronavirus Current Events death Different Religions Divine Mercy Easter Education encouragment Entertainment Eucharist Evangelization Event faith Family Life famous people feast day food Fun Stuff Global Church God guest post Harry Potter healing Heck of a Ride Around the Sun history holiday Holy Family Holy Orders Holy Spirit Holy Week hope Humor Interview Ireland Jesus kindle unlimited reflections Last Things Lecto Divina with Kristin Lent Lent/Easter liturgy love marriage Mary Meet the Author Mission Month in Advance Movie Review Movies Movies of the Month Music Narrative Older Writings patheos authors personal Philosophy podcasts poetry political Politics pope prayer Private Revelation pro-life public domain Quotes racial relations racism reflection Religious Life Saints science Scriptural Meditation social justice Social Media spirituality suffering supernatural theology Topics Travel Trivia Tweeting to the Choir Uncategorized universal church Vatican virtue war Week in Review women world religions writing Writing Write Now

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Where did Elisha multiply oil?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Shunem Zarephath Samaria Jericho

Books by This Author Books by Catholic Bard

See All Titles »