Here is a concise article that explains both the background and dating of Canada's Thanksgiving Day. Imagine passing a law worded like this in 2005! How the mighty have fallen!
On January 31, 1957 Parliament issued a proclamation to fix permanently the second Monday in October as "a day of general Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed."
I take issue with the phrase "How the mighty have fallen!"; Just because someone (or some governing body) issues a "christian" statement (You could even argue that this may not even be christian as the term "Almighty God" may not necessarily refer to Yahweh) does not make it "mighty".
ReplyDeleteanon,
ReplyDeleteI will give you that a "Christian statement" does not necessarily mean everyone in the country buys into it. However, if you examine Canadian history, you will see that a large proportion of our population did hold to the Christian faith at least loosely. Clearly this is exactly the God the framers of the proclamation had in mind. Such is not the case anymore and that is why such a proclamation would never be written now!
When a country does submit to God, however, and order itself under Him, I do think it is "mighty" in the sense that I used the phrase. I do not mean military or political strength. I mean greatnes in the estimation of God - the only One who matters.
kerux