Governor’s Prayer Breakfast puts spotlight on absolute truth
JEFFERSON CITY – Gov. Matt Blunt used the occasion of the Governor’s Prayer Breakfast for Missouri Jan. 4 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel to quote America’s third president, Thomas Jefferson, who said, “Truth is great and will prevail if left to herself.”
“I think there is a right and there is a wrong,” Blunt said. “There is truth and there is error.”
The governor managed to keep it in the family by quoting Rodney Albert, pastor, Hallsville Baptist Church, who said a day earlier, “When you govern well, when you govern righteously, when you govern with the fear of God, then you bring glory and honor to our great state.”
The governor concluded his remarks by urging Missourians to defend truth with confidence, courage, humility and kindness.
“We should embrace moral certainty with courage, humility and confidence, that in the words of Jefferson, ‘Truth has nothing to fear from the conflict,’” Blunt said.
His remarks came during his introduction of the keynote speaker, former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft. Blunt called the former Missouri governor a man whose life in public service has been marked by moral certainty. Ashcroft embraced that characterization.
“It’s against my religion to impose my religion, but I don’t think it’s against my religion to expose my religion or to make it available in the public square,” Ashcroft said.
Readings at the prayer breakfast were done by Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau (Luke 6:46-49) and Sen. Minority Floor Leader Maida Coleman, D-St. Louis (I Timothy 6:17-19). Approximately 800 people attended the event including about 20 leaders with the Missouri Baptist Convention.