I've been to 45 countries and all 50 states. Here are 5 things that make America great

On Saturday, July 4, the United States of America celebrates our Semiquincentennial. We have been an independent republic for 250 years. That is a long time but not for certain countries. Egypt, India and Greece have existed for thousands of years longer than America.

But 250 years is still a long time. And one where we have had the same form of government our entire existence. Something that cannot be said for many other countries across the world. And our Constitution has significantly influenced the development of constitutions of various other countries.

I’ve had the opportunity to visit every state in America. And I have traveled to six continents and visited 45 countries around the world. This has given me a broad perspective on the uniqueness of America. And what it is that makes us truly special.

Vibrant faith

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America is a very religious nation. The interest in faith is greater than in many other Western nations. Church attendance is especially high. Christianity has enormous influence over virtually every aspect of American life. You can hardly watch an awards show or interview of an athlete without hearing about God.

There are around 370,000 churches in America. That is a church for every 940 Americans. America has some of the largest churches in the world and the greatest number of large churches anywhere on earth. South Korea has the largest church, while Brazil and Nigeria have many large churches, but there is nowhere like America. We have a church whose building is a former NBA arena!

Followers of Jesus have made a huge positive impact on America. From education to healthcare, from caring for the poor to saving souls, Christians have served this country. And the blessing of God has been upon us for the good works done here and around the world.

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Diversity of land and people

America is a huge country. Our land mass is the fourth-largest in the world. The two largest, Russia and Canada, have large amounts of uninhabited land, 70% or higher, but America has less than 50%. The variety of American landscape is plentiful. We have it all. Hundreds of miles of beaches, many mountain ranges, lakes and rivers in almost every state.

Visit any national park, and you’ll be blown away by the beauty. Even our state parks are beautiful. It is an embarrassment of riches. When I talk to people from other countries, they always remark on how vast America is. Many countries have beauty; we just have so much more because of our size.

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America has the third-largest population in the world. It is not just our numbers but our diversity that matters. You can meet immigrants from virtually any country. We are truly a melting pot of races and ethnicities. The strengths of many cultures make America great.

Unparalleled opportunity

America is the land of endless opportunity. If you have a dream, you can pursue it. There is simply no other place on earth to be, to do or to become like America. There are a multitude of educational and trade options. You can easily and affordably pursue almost any job or vocation.

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If you want to own your own business, it’s almost impossible in many countries, but in America it is positively possible. We have the Small Business Administration to help, a variety of banks and credit unions to lend money and far fewer regulations and taxes. It won’t be easy, but if you want it bad enough, there is nothing that can stop you. As the 36 million small business owners in America can attest.

Immense freedom

America is the beacon of freedom for the world. We have inspired so many to love freedom, to pursue freedom, to fight for freedom. We fought our War of Independence for freedom, we fought our Civil War over freedom, we fought world wars to preserve freedom.

Followers of Jesus have made a huge positive impact on America. From education to healthcare, from caring for the poor to saving souls, Christians have served this country. And the blessing of God has been upon us for the good works done here and around the world.

Americans are freedom-loving people. We defend the rights of people that we disagree with. Even when people say and write things we vehemently object to, we support their right to do it.

I was in London recently and people were telling me how bad it is with their hyper surveillance and restrictions on free speech. I told them that could never happen in America, we simply value freedom too much to allow it.

Invention of popular sports

Sports are incredible unifiers. People can have many differences but if they support the same team, it brings them together. Sports bring great joy and fun to so many people. And the origins of three popular sports can be traced back to America.

Baseball was invented in New York, basketball in my wife’s hometown of Springfield, Mass., and football down the road from where I grew up in Connecticut. Walter Camp became the father of football at Yale University.

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All are worldwide sports with great appeal, but the greatest by far is football. A uniquely American game combining toughness, strength, speed and strategy. It is easily the most popular sport in America.

I’ve met thousands of Americans from every state. I’ve seen the beauty and uniqueness of many countries. There is simply no place on earth like America.

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The United States of America is not perfect; it’s made up of millions of imperfect people. But it is exceptional.

Happy 250th anniversary America! Here’s to many more years of blessings, growth, progress and impact.

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