Pilgrim politician

Presidency: Leading up to a bicentennial celebration, Abe Lincoln is remembered as a president who learned that God is the prime actor in history | Marvin Olasky

Library of Congress/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images

Abraham Lincoln popped out of his mother's womb on Feb. 12, 1809, which means that soon begins a year of activities leading up to his bicentennial in 2009. With only $200, the devoted can buy the "premier package" for "The Official Bicentennial Kick-Off" next week in Kentucky, where Lincoln was born. That expenditure buys admission to a "Champagne Reception" and other activities.

In a campaign year when reporters often ask candidates for yes-or-no answers concerning their religious beliefs, there is something to learn from Abraham Lincoln's long and winding road to God. Apart from the spin—proclamations that Lincoln was a Christian from youth, or an atheist even during his last year—the fact pattern is more complex.