STATE OF MISSISSIPPI

Office of the governor

A Proclamation

By

Governor Ronnie Musgrove

WHEREAS, the Constitution of the State of Mississippi states that “We the people of Mississippi in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking His blessing on our work, do ordain and establish this Constitution…no preference shall be given by law to any religious sect or mode of worship; but the free enjoyment of all religious sentiments and the different modes of worship shall be held sacred. The rights hereby secured shall not be construed to justify acts of licentiousness injurious to morals or dangerous to the peace and safety of the State, or to exclude the Holy Bible from use in any public school of this State”; and

WHEREAS, Benjamin Franklin, at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 stated: “It is impossible to build an empire without our Father’s aid. I believe the sacred writings which say that “Except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build It” (Psalms 127:1); and

WHEREAS, George Washington enunciated; “animated alone by the pure spirit of Christianity, and conducting ourselves as the faithful subjects of our free government, we may enjoy every temporal and spiritual felicity;” and

WHEREAS, Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, wrote “Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed the conviction that these liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed the conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?” and

WHEREAS, James Madison, father of the U.S. Constitution, advocated “the diffusion of the light of Christianity in our nation” in his Memorial and Remonstrance; and

WHEREAS, Patrick Henry quoted Proverbs 14:34 for our nation: “Righteousness alone can exalt a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people; and

WHEREAS, George Mason, in his Virginia Declaration of Rights, forerunner to our U.S. Bill of Rights, affirmed: “That is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love and charity towards each other;” and

WHEREAS, these, and many other truly great men and women of America, giants in the structuring of American history, were Christian statesmen of caliber and integrity who did not hesitate [t]no express their faith:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Ronnie Musgrove, Governor of the State of Mississippi, hereby proclaim November 23-29, 2003, CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WEEK in the State of Mississippi.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Mississippi to be affixed.

DONE in the City of Jackson, October 5, 2003, in the two hundred and twenty-seventh year of the United States of America.

RONNIE MUSGROVE

GOVERNOR