Perhaps behind only Christmas and Easter, the Fourth of July is among the most sacred American holidays. Our nation will glitz up the day Monday with celebrations, parades and fireworks displays all across the country.

Although in some ways, the holiday is not a religious holiday, in some ways it is — though its religious underpinnings seem to inch a little further and further away each day.

We know that our nation was founded on the principle of our having a “Creator” as the Declaration of Independence calls God. We have for decades printed our currency emblazoned with the phrase “One nation under God.”

That foundation of faith has led our country through many trials and tribulations — perhaps not unlike the people of Israel in the Bible’s Old Testament.

We’ve been through wars and depressions, times of economic boom and business busts.

Throughout our history, however, perhaps never before have we seen a time in which our nation seems adamant on continuing to push ourselves further and further from our Creator.

In our schools courts have said our nation’s laws to protect citizens from religious discrimination now prevent us from virtually any public display of faith.

As we head into one of the most precious holidays our country celebrates, perhaps we should celebrate our freedoms and our independence with what got us here in the first place — prayer to the Creator. Without Him, none of the red, white and blue would mean much today.