TV Ad Shows God and Religion Key Themes for Prominent American Presidents 

Presidents' Day commercial by the Knights of Columbus aired from Feb. 18-20

(NEW HAVEN, Conn.) - A new television commercial airing Presidents Day weekend reminds Americans how God and religion are foundational to this country.

Released by the Knights of Columbus, the minute-long spot highlights quotes from Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Kennedy and Reagan - each focused on the foundational role that God and religion play in American rights and government.

"The idea that our rights come from God and that religion has a role to play in our nation's public life is not partisan or sectarian, it is quintessentially American," said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. "This Presidents Day is an excellent opportunity to remind Americans that God is - and has always been - foundational to this country and to our system of ordered liberty."

The spot is running on national cable networks between Feb. 18 and 20. It is also running in regional markets from Connecticut to California.

The commercial may be viewed online at: www.youtube.com/knightsofcolumbus and highlights the following presidential quotes:

• Thomas Jefferson (Notes on the State of Virginia, 1785, abbreviated from Jefferson Memorial): "Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are of the gift of God?"
• Franklin D. Roosevelt (State of the Union, Jan. 6, 1941): "This nation has placed its destiny in the hands ... of its millions of free men and women; and its faith in freedom under the guidance of God."
• George Washington (Farewell Address, Sept. 19, 1796): "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports."
• Ronald Reagan ("Evil Empire" Speech, March 8, 1983): "Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged."
• Abraham Lincoln (Gettysburg Address, Nov. 19, 1863): "This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom."
• John F. Kennedy (Inaugural Address, Jan. 20, 1961): "The rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God."

The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal organization with more than 1.8 million members worldwide. One of the nation's most active charities, last year, Knights donated nearly $155 million and 70 million hours to charitable causes around the world.