Lincoln... I've Been Thinkin'

---Land of Lincoln---  That is what is written on most Illinois license plates.  I moved to Bloomington, Illinois about 6 months ago, but I am from another state that is named after our FIRST president.  So what's the big deal, Illinois?  Let me try and shed some light.

The name Abraham Lincoln brings all kinds of images to my mind.  I see pennies and five dollar bills. I think of the Civil War, slavery and the number 16.  When I moved here, I found out that this is the "Land of Lincoln" because he resided and was buried in Springfield, IL, the state capitol.  Other than studies in grade and high school, I knew very little about "Honest Abe." 

I am not a lover of history or politics and put up with it most the time just to be polite. But something happened to me a few weeks ago.  

My sister and daughter were in town visiting, and I decided to show them a tourist attraction: The Lincoln Museum in Springfield.  A few weeks prior to this I happened to watch the movie, "Lincoln".  It perked my interest and whetted my appetite to find out a bit more about the man Illinois boasts about.  Also it should be noted that there are more books written about Lincoln than any other person in history, with the exception of Jesus.

I really didn't want to see more about the Civil War.  I went with the intention of finding out more about this famous man.  I wanted to see the world from Lincoln's eyes as much as possible.  The museum gave me this profound and I would even say spiritual experience.  Something I will always be grateful for and never forget.

I will not go into detail about the museum itself.  Let's just say that the experience left me with a small taste of what Lincoln had to walk through.  I know all leaders have to deal with dilemmas and decisions that effect multitudes, not only in the present but in the generations to come.  It is what Lincoln was up against and how he responded that amazes me.

The big "Aha" that I took away from my visit to the museum, was born from this analysis:  

Lincoln had a job to do.  His job was to keep the states unified.  As president, that was his primary focus and what his office mandated him to do.  From what I can tell, the Civil War was not just about the issue of slavery, it was about the issue of FREEDOM.  It is my understanding that the South wanted to be separate because they were afraid that they would lose their freedom to own slaves.  As an American, I love my freedom.  And to the South, this freedom was probably just as sacred to them as it is to us today.

Today, we don't even ponder the idea that slavery was moral and right to many during that time.  But why was it?  It is obvious to me that the assumption (or principle that our country says it is founded on) is not what many believed. Slave owners had to believe that all men were NOT created equal, or possibly the word "men" was not well defined in our Declaration of Independence.   It seems like a no -brainer today to know that slavery is wrong.  Well, maybe some still think it's right, but now it is illegal.  Thanks to Lincoln.

Lincoln must have been keenly aware that he was walking on thin ice when he was putting moral decisions into law, and taking away the freedom of many to decide what is moral and what is immoral.  

And then it hit me.  Is it OK for our government to make laws based on moral principles?  And where are those moral principles written?  And what if the government didn't step in and make a law based on morality...would we still have slavery?  Honestly, I believe we might.

I believe that Lincoln was an abolitionist in his heart, and he knew that making slavery illegal was stepping on the toes of freedom and messing with the boundaries of church and state.  He set the stage for continued battles for passing laws with moral issues.  It is still going on today.

I thank God for men like Lincoln.  Freedom is a beautiful thing, but freedom without morality is ugly.  If everyone lives by their own personal moral code, what is the end result?