| Line 52: |
Line 52: |
| | | | |
| | ==Wilson and religion== | | ==Wilson and religion== |
| − | "Wilson, a liberal's liberal, was a Presbyterian elder who read the [[Bible]] daily; he felt 'sorry for the men who do not read the Bible every day.' The Bible, he argued, was 'the one supreme source of revelation of the meaning of life.' Wilson was prone to make explicitly Christian claims about his nation, even excluding the word ''Judeo'' from his characterization of the nation's religious heritage. 'America was born a [[Christian]] nation,' claimed the great liberal in 1913. 'America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which derived from the revelations of Holy Scripture.' "<ref>God and George W. Bush (New York: Regan Books, 2004), p. 175</ref>
| + | Wilson was a Presbyterian elder and the son of a leading theologian. Wilson read the Bible daily; he felt 'sorry for the men who do not read the Bible every day.' The Bible, he argued, was 'the one supreme source of revelation of the meaning of life.' Wilson was prone to make explicitly Christian claims about his nation, even excluding the word ''Judeo'' from his characterization of the nation's religious heritage. 'America was born a Christian nation,' he explained in 1911: |
| | + | "America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which derived from the revelations of Holy Scripture." <ref>Arthur S. Link, ed. ''The Papers of Woodrow Wilson'' (1977) 23:20, speech on the Bible, in Denver May 7, 1911</ref> |
| | | | |
| | Wilson also had this to say about the Bible: <blockquote>"The Bible... is the one supreme source of revelation of meaning of life, of the nature of God and the spiritual nature and need of men. It is the only guide of life which really leads the spirit in the way of peace and salvation.<ref>The Rebirth of America (1986), Arthur S. DeMoss, Pg. 37</ref></blockquote> | | Wilson also had this to say about the Bible: <blockquote>"The Bible... is the one supreme source of revelation of meaning of life, of the nature of God and the spiritual nature and need of men. It is the only guide of life which really leads the spirit in the way of peace and salvation.<ref>The Rebirth of America (1986), Arthur S. DeMoss, Pg. 37</ref></blockquote> |
| | + | |
| | ==Democracy== | | ==Democracy== |
| | Wilson advocated a new international order founded on self-determination, democracy, unfettered international commerce, and a worldwide organization of states - the League of Nations. Wilson framed American participation in the war as the first step in ending all wars. Although 'Wilsonian nationalism' has been blamed for the nationalistic emphasis on race and territory in Europe during the 1920's and 1930's, Wilson's policies had actually used ethnic and territorial issues to encourage self-determination and the development of democracy in postwar nations. | | Wilson advocated a new international order founded on self-determination, democracy, unfettered international commerce, and a worldwide organization of states - the League of Nations. Wilson framed American participation in the war as the first step in ending all wars. Although 'Wilsonian nationalism' has been blamed for the nationalistic emphasis on race and territory in Europe during the 1920's and 1930's, Wilson's policies had actually used ethnic and territorial issues to encourage self-determination and the development of democracy in postwar nations. |