Happy 250th Semiquincentennial Birthday America

We certainly have a lot going on here in America this weekend, especially here in the New Jersey area where the World Cup is being played. It's the 250th Birthday of America, when the Declaration of Independence was signed.

Why was America founded in the first place? The reasons are long and there is also a spiritual aspect to it as well. It was foretold in symbolic language that America was where God wanted to rescue his people from Papal tyranny.

In short, the Pilgrims, Dutch Reformed, Huguenots and Puritans were escaping the Church of England, the persecuting arm of the Roman Papacy in western Europe. It was either an escape to the New World or be killed.

America became God's safe haven for many Christian faiths. This is the main reason why America had Religious Liberty written into their founding documents and also a form of government without a King, as Europe had.

It was a novel approach, widely different from the governments and monarchies of Europe. The American experiment WORKED, better than most in government thought it would. Liberty and Justice for all...Eventually.

Though Independence was signed and established from England in 1776, the War of Independence dragged on another 7 years until 1783. The British Empire was simply spread too thin, and it was time to pull back.

By giving up the fight in America, Britain would be better able to solidify its authority elsewhere. And that is how the United States managed to double its size in the 1783 Treaty of Paris, which formally ended the war.

Much has happened here in the United States of America in these past 250 years. There were many HIGH moments and sadly many LOW moments as well. America is not perfect, far from it, but it offered what many others didn't.

As we Americans and those of you around the world celebrate with us, remember that Freedom is not Free. It always costs something, mainly the blood, sweat and tears of our men and women in uniform and their families.

For all of you reading this who are Americans, I pray you have a fun, joyous, and most importantly...SAFE Fourth of July celebration. Remember all that was sacrificed to get here, even though things seem like they are reversing.

Freedom has a cost and just because a document was signed in 1776 and the war dragged on until 1783, does not mean that freedom cannot be lost at a moments notice. Even with an independent America, it was attacked again.

On August 24, 1814, British forces invaded America's young capital of Washington D.C.. They captured the city with ease, and proceeded to set the federal buildings on fire including the Capitol and White House. Then this happened.

HAPPY SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL AMERICA! Leave your comments below.