Received this article from a friend –  A. Horn

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With Rosh Hashanah coming it is appropriate to recognize the benefit of having religion in America. Rabbi Meir Soloveichik of Yeshiva University pointed out that history has shown a very important and good result of having religion in our society, government, and politics especially in western revolutions.

England had a revolution in the 17th century and the United States had one in the 18th century. In both revolutions, religion had an important place. In England, the question was whether the king and the majority of the people would be Protestant or Catholic. In the American Revolution, it was believed man got his rights from God. For example, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” It is worth noting that during these revolutions as well following them there were no great massacres.

By contrast, France also had a revolution in the 18th century and Russia had one in the 20th century. In these two revolutions God had no place. All rights came from the state. In both cases the state was supreme. In those two there were great massacres. France had the Reign of Terror and 10 million perished in the Russian Revolution. Need I say more. 

By the way, in the Communist Chinese Revolution perhaps 60 million or 70 million perished. 

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