The first Bible printed in English in the United States was recommended by Congress

The Aitken Bible, the first Bible to be printed in English in the United States, came with the recommendation of the Continental Congress – in part because there was a shortage of Bibles for schools.

Tim Barton, President of “Wallbuilders” (a group that promotes America's religious, moral, and constitutional heritage), testifies before the Texas Legislature on the Aitken Bible.

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The Aitken Bible of 1782 (one year after the Battle of Yorktown and one year before the Treaty of Paris was signed to officially end the Revolutionary War), the first Bible to be printed in English in the United States, was issued with the recommendation of Congress (under the Articles of Confederation, 1781-1789) – in part because there was a shortage of Bibles for schools.

Think of that, for a moment! It was authorized by the Congress of the United States¹… and part of the reason for that was to make sure there were sufficient Bibles in schools. Interesting how we only hear one side of the “separation of Church and State” story, from our secular education system.

Author, historian, and Constitutional scholar Tara Ross elaborates on this story:

“On [September 12th] in 1782, the Continental Congress [by then, actually, the Confederation Congress – see footnote] recommends a Bible to the residents of the United States. This particular translation was created because Americans were having so much trouble obtaining Bibles during the American Revolution…

“On September 11, 1777, the matter came before the Continental Congress. A committee reported that ‘the proper types [of printers] for printing the Bible are not to be had in this country, and that the paper cannot be procured.’ The problem was deemed a great one because ‘the use of the Bible is so universal, and its importance so great’…

“Robert Aitken notified Congress on January 21, 1781, that he would be working on an American translation of the Bible… On September 12, 1782, Congress decided to endorse the Bible, noting that it ‘highly approve[s] the pious and laudable undertakings of Mr. Aitken . . . [and] recommend[s] this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States.’ Aitken’s Bible was the only Bible to receive such an official sanction in America.”

Full text of the endorsement, as recorded in the Library of Congress:

“Resolved. That the United States in Congress assembled highly approve the pious and laudable undertaking of Mr. Aitkin, as subservient to the interest of religion as well as an influence of the progress of arts in this country and being satisfied from the above report [by Congressional Chaplains William White and George Duffield], they recommend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States and hereby authorize him to publish this recommendation.”

Ms Ross concludes with this comment, with which I am in full agreement:

“Very odd history, if our Founders actually were deists who wanted to build a wall of separation between church and state, as some would have us believe.”

1. The Congress of the Confederation, or the Confederation Congress, formally referred to as the United States in Congress Assembled, was the governing body of the United States from March 1, 1781, until March 3, 1789, during the Confederation period. It still referred to itself as the Continental Congress.

Dr. Steve Turley: "Progressives" are actually the regressive ones

Leftists bemoaning Pope Leo XIV's affirmation of the traditional Christian family are actually seeking a return to pre-Christian barbarism.

How the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV – the first American-born Pope, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost – will shape up in the long-term remains to be seen, but early indications are positive that he will be a more classically Christian (one might even say, more Catholic!) successor of St. Peter than his predecessor, who sowed confusion instead of clarity. Pope Leo XIV has categorically affirmed that the family is founded on the “stable union between a man and a woman,” and that the unborn and elderly enjoy dignity as God’s creatures, articulating clear Catholic teaching on marriage and abortion at the start of his pontificate. A breath of fresh air, after the miasma that was Francis’ tenure in the Chair of St. Peter, and hopefully an indicator of the future!

"I still believe in the West": Italy's Giorgi Meloni declares Western values come from Greece, Rome, and Christian faith in fiery speech

Mercator.net: "Italy's eloquent PM defends Western values - Giorgi Meloni's message is a breath of life in a civilization dominated by the shadow of death."

Mercatornet.com quotes Italian PM Giorgia Meloni (from her full speech):

“For me, the West is more than a physical place. By the word West we do not simply define countries by specific geographical location, but as a civilization built over the centuries with the genius and sacrifices of many…

“Above all, we need to recover awareness of who we are. As Western peoples, we have a duty to keep this promise and seek the answer to the problems of the future by having faith in our values: a synthesis born out of the meeting of Greek philosophy, Roman law and Christian values…

“So, at the end of the day, Patriotism is the best response to declinism. Defending our deep roots is the precondition for reaping ripe fruit. Learning from our past mistakes is the precondition for being better in the future.”

"We Three Kings" in Old English!

Now, this is cool: "We three Kings of Orient are" in Old English (Anglo-Saxon). Great translation AND musical presentation!

Sunday Roast!

Been a while since I've posted, and longer still since I've done one that's specifically Anglophilic – time for a "Blighty Boys" sort of post. In this case: the famous and traditional Sunday Roast!

Source: "Great British Tea Party" group, on Facebook: "Sunday Roast is a British institution."

Did not have a traditional British Sunday roast yesterday (though I did have some excellent sauerbraten – pleasing the German portion of my heritage – at our fellowship meal after the service, so it was at least beef…), but the Anglophile in me wanted to post this!

As the original post notes, the “Sunday roast is a British Institution, originating in the 15th century during the reign of King Henry VII… Classic roast beef can be replaced by chicken, which is now the more popular choice, and indeed any meat [personally, I am especially fond of lamb! – The Anglophilic Anglican]... Served with seasonal vegetables and gravy.”

And traditionally, with Yorkshire pudding, which is similar to what is known in some parts as a “Dutch Baby” – although savoury, not sweet. English-style mustard may be served with the meal, as here, but the more traditional condiment for roast beef is horseradish, fresh-grated or in sauce form (which includes a touch of mustard). If lamb is the meat, then mint sauce!

A pot-roast of beef, with potatoes, onions, carrots, and celery – and typically cauliflower or broccoli, a gelatin salad, and rolls, on the side – was our classic Sunday midday meal (dinner), when I was growing up. So much so that one of my brother's girlfriends, who only came to dinner at our house on Sundays, once asked him if that was the only thing Ma knew how to make!

Far from it.

She cooked many delicious things! But that was the Sunday standard. No Yorkshire puddings, though, alas...