America's 250th Birthday
This coming July 4, 2026, the United States of America will celebrate its 250th birthday. A reflection on America's Christian foundations and its remarkable transformation over two and a half centuries.
This coming July 4, 2026, the United States of America will celebrate its 250th birthday. For perspective, here is how long several major world empires endured:
- Egyptian Empire: roughly 3,000 years
- Babylonian Empire: about 200 years
- Greek/Hellenistic Empire: about 300 years
- Roman Empire: about 500 years
- Ottoman Empire: about 600 years
- British Empire: about 400 years
America was founded on Christian-influenced principles, and it amazes me how dramatically the nation has transformed in just two and a half centuries. Of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, 55 were Christians. All of the Ivy League universities except Cornell — Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Princeton, Penn, Brown, and Dartmouth—were originally founded by Christian ministers/pastors for the purpose of training Christian ministers/pastors. Today, those world-renowned institutions have become some of the most liberal, secular and atheistic environments on earth.
For many years, I maintained an office in a high-rise building in Cambridge, Massachusetts, overlooking the Charles River near Harvard University. I also had satellite offices in high-rise towers overlooking the beautiful and historic campuses of Yale University and Brown University. I've studied the history of those universities extensively — I know more about the history of those universities than most people who graduated from them.
I also had the privilege of being the co-owner of a manufacturing company on the outskirts of Bologna, Italy. The University of Bologna, founded in 1088 A.D., is the oldest university in the world—and it, too, was founded by Christians.
Where will America be 250 years from now? Only God knows for sure. But in my opinion, the direction our nation is currently heading does not inspire confidence. History has proven no empire lasts forever. It is worth reflecting on the possibility that God blessed America with unparalleled wealth and resources for two primary purposes:
- To have enough surplus wealth to send Christian missionaries across the world to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ; and
- To build the most powerful military in human history in order to help protect the nation of Israel—a country whose neighbors have, at many times, wished for its destruction.
To learn more about Christian apologetics, please visit my website section My Faith.