A friend of mine recently quipped in one of his articles: "To assert the view that our constitution, legal system, and laws are based on Christianity and the Holy Bible is nothing more than propaganda." You can read the article at this link: Godless American Patriot He continues by asserting that Christian apologists are attempting to rewrite history by promoting such propaganda. I do believe he is sincere concerning his assertion, but most certainly misinformed. You will find the exact opposite posted here on this blog, only you will not read so much what I have to say, but what the founders of this nation themselves believed. You will hear their own words concerning their faith, their understanding of the law, where its sources lie, and its authority. I simply let them describe the American experience in their own words, not mine.
Contrary to what my friend insists, the 1780 Constitution of Massachusetts not only acknowledges God as the great Legislator of the universe but asserts He was directly involved by His kind Providence in affording them the opportunity of forming a new constitution of civil government. Then followed that with an affirmation in the forming of that new civil government their imploring of His direction in the design. I absolutely refute the idea that I am re-writing anything, I simply stated what the people of Massachusetts stated in the Preamble of their Constitution.
They would state in Art. II. (It is the right as well as the duty of all men in society, publicly and at stated seasons, to worship the Supreme Being, the great Creator, and Preserver of the universe. And no subject shall be hurt, molested, or restrained, in his person, liberty, or estate, for worshipping God in the manner and season most agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience, or for his religious profession or sentiments, provided he doth not disturb the public peace or obstruct others in their religious worship.) In their Civil governance, not only did they understand the people had a right to worship according to the dictates of their own conscience, but they also had a duty to do so publicly. Again, I am not re-writing anything, I am letting the people of Massachusetts speak for themselves. For my friend to assert the view that our constitution, legal system, and laws are based on Christianity and the Holy Bible is nothing more than propaganda is a rewriting of history.
Furthermore, in Art. III. they state: (As the happiness of a people and the good order and preservation of civil government essentially depend upon piety, religion, and morality, and as these cannot be generally diffused through a community but by the institution of the public worship of God and of the public instructions in piety, religion, and morality: Therefore, To promote their happiness and to secure the good order and preservation of their government, the people of this commonwealth have a right to invest their legislature with power to authorize and require, and the legislature shall, from time to time, authorize and require, the several towns, parishes, precincts, and other bodies-politic or religious societies to make suitable provision, at their own expense, for the institution of the public worship of God and for the support and maintenance of public Protestant teachers of piety, religion, and morality in all cases where such provision shall not be made voluntarily.) This is a true reflection of the state and mind of the people of Massachusetts when forming their civil governments. The importance of the Protestant faith was deemed so essentially necessary for the preservation of their government they authorize and required their legislature to make provisions for places of worship and teachers to teach instructions concerning the faith.
In spite of the fact that all original state constitutions were similarly fashioned, my friend grasps at straws stating: "However, our constitution is not a religious document, it is a “secular” document and only mentions religion once (First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof). While not specifically stated, our constitution and laws give all religions equal rights and equal access to our courts, ballot boxes, and political office. One could easily claim America is a nation of all religions and not just a Christian nation."
The statement he makes concerning religion only being mentioned once has nothing to do with his argument. The fact all religions or non-religious entities benefit from the civil documents themselves has nothing to do with the foundations of those documents. If the Constitution of the United States had mentioned religion 10 times it would still be a civil document by nature. However, is it not interesting the very first concern the signers had concerning the documents was of a religious nature. Their first concern was to protect their religious freedoms. Are we to believe the people whose first concern was protecting their religious freedoms with their civil documents were purposely removing that religion as the foundation for their laws? I think not.
Furthermore, I find it interesting in the concluding comments the signers placed the phrase "in the Year of our Lord" in the text. In doing so they acknowledged to whom they rendered obedience and faith. I have heard it said that was only a common etiquette of the times, which in itself establishes the Christian influences that prevailed in society as well as the minds of the signers. It would be a strange thing indeed for a society that sought out all religions to sign concluding agreements "in the Year of our Lord" when they had no particular lord in mind.
Yet even more, in the Preamble of the Constitution of the United States, we find its purpose stated well: We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
In every provision of the above-said purpose of this document, it has already been articulated by the Founders that for those provisions to find their greatest achievement, the support of the Christian religion was necessary. Without the Christian religion, they understood the purpose and intent of the Constitution would be greatly hindered if not rendered impossible. I invite you to peruse the following quotes and decide for yourself who is re-writing history and who is spreading propaganda.
May the grace of God be with each of you,
David
"The most perfect maxims and examples for regulating your social conduct and domestic economy, as well as the best rules of morality and religion, are to be found in the Bible. . . . The moral principles and precepts found in the scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws. These principles and precepts have truth, immutable truth, for their foundation. . . . All the evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible. . . . For instruction then in social, religious and civil duties resort to the scriptures for the best precepts." - Noah Webster, Founding Educator
"It is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue."- John Adams, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Second President of the United States
"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. . . . Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." - John Adams, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Second President of the United States
"There are three points of doctrine the belief of which forms the foundation of all morality. The first is the existence of God; the second is the immortality of the human soul; and the third is a future state of rewards and punishments. Suppose it possible for a man to disbelieve either of these three articles of faith and that man will have no conscience, he will have no other law than that of the tiger or the shark. The laws of man may bind him in chains or may put him to death, but they never can make him wise, virtuous, or happy." - John Quincy Adams, Sixth President of the United States
"Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt." - Samuel Adams, Signer of the Declaration of Independence
"Our liberty depends on our education, our laws, and habits . . . it is founded on morals and religion, whose authority reigns in the heart, and on the influence all these produce on public opinion before that opinion governs rulers." - Fisher Ames, Framer of the First Amendment
"Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime & pure, [and] which denounces against the wicked eternal misery, and [which] insured to the good eternal happiness, are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments." - Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Signer of the Declaration of Independence
"The primary objects of government are the peace, order, and prosperity of society. . . . To the promotion of these objects, particularly in a republican government, good morals are essential. Institutions for the promotion of good morals are therefore objects of legislative provision and support: and among these . . . religious institutions are eminently useful and important. . . . The legislature, charged with the great interests of the community, may, and ought to countenance, aid and protect religious institutions, institutions wisely calculated to direct men to the performance of all the duties arising from their connection with each other, and to prevent or repress those evils which flow from unrestrained passion." - Oliver Ellsworth, Chief-Justice of the Supreme Court [Thus the purpose of the First Amendment]
"The doctrines of Jesus are simple, and tend all to the happiness of mankind." - Thomas Jefferson, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, and Third President of the United States [Thus the undergirding of the Preamble]
"Public utility pleads most forcibly for the general distribution of the Holy Scriptures. The doctrine they preach, the obligations they impose, the punishment they threaten, the rewards they promise, the stamp and image of divinity they bear, which produces a conviction of their truths, can alone secure to society, order and peace, and to our courts of justice and constitutions of government, purity, stability and usefulness. In vain, without the Bible, we increase penal laws and draw entrenchments around our institutions. Bibles are strong entrenchments. Where they abound, men cannot pursue wicked courses, and at the same time enjoy quiet conscience." - James McHenry, Signer of the Constitution
"To the kindly influence of Christianity we owe that degree of civil freedom, and political and social happiness which mankind now enjoys. . . . Whenever the pillars of Christianity shall be overthrown, our present republican forms of government, and all blessings which flow from them, must fall with them." - Jedediah Morse, Patriot and “Father of American Geography”
"No free government now exists in the world, unless where Christianity is acknowledged, and is the religion of the country." - Pennsylvania Supreme Court
"The only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments." - Benjamin Rush, Signer of the Declaration of Independence
"Indeed, the right of a society or government to [participate] in matters of religion will hardly be contested by any persons who believe that piety, religion, and morality are intimately connected with the well being of the state and indispensable to the administrations of civil justice. The promulgation of the great doctrines of religion—the being, and attributes, and providence of one Almighty God; the responsibility to Him for all our actions, founded upon moral accountability; a future state of rewards and punishments; the cultivation of all the personal, social, and benevolent virtues—these never can be a matter of indifference in any well-ordered community. It is, indeed, difficult to conceive how any civilized society can well exist without them." - Joseph Story, Supreme Court Justice
"If we and our posterity reject religious instruction and authority, violate the rules of eternal justice, trifle with the injunctions of morality, and recklessly destroy the political constitution which holds us together, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us that shall bury all our glory in profound obscurity." - Daniel Webster, Early American Jurist and Senator
"Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants. Indeed, these two sciences run into each other. The divine law, as discovered by reason and the moral sense, forms an essential part of both." - James Wilson, Signer of the Constitution
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