WE ARE A CHRISTIAN PEOPLE, AND THE MORALITY OF THE COUNTRY IS DEEPLY ENGRAFTED UPON CHRISTIANITY. Those were the words of Chief Justice James Kent of the United States Supreme Court, written by him in his opinion for the 1811 Case: People v. Ruggles.
There were 56 signers of the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. 29 of those original 56 signers ATTENDED SEMINARY! All 29 were Christian of various denominations and beliefs; but again, all were Christian. Most of them held orthodox Christian beliefs. Here the words of the very first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, John Jay, who said:
“UNTO HIM WHO IS THE AUTHOR AND GIVER OF ALL GOOD, I RENDER SINCERE AND HUMBLE THANKS FOR HIS MANIFOLD AND UNMERITED BLESSINGS, AND ESPECIALLY FOR OUR REDEMPTION AND SALVATION BY HIS BELOVED SON.”
Chief Justice Jay was a strong Christian. And so was the so-called FATHER OF THE REVOLUTION, Samuel Adams, who said of Jesus Christ:
“I RECOMMEND MY SOULD TO THAT ALMIGHTY BEING WHO GAVE IT, AND MY BODY I COMMIT TO THE DUST, RELYING UPON THE MERITS OF JESUS CHRIST FOR A PARDON OF ALL MY SINS.”
Sam Adams was a strong believer.
And so was Benjamin Rush, who said of Jesus Christ:
“NOTHING BUT HIS BLOOD WILL WASH AWAY MY SINS. I RELY EXCLUSIVELY UPON IT (HIM).”
Another strong confession in faith by Founding Father Rush, who himself was a strong Christian. And so were other founding fathers including John Dickinson, Charles Carroll, and Roger Sherman. And even Benjamin Franklin, perhaps the least religious of the founding fathers, even said during the Constitutional Convention:
“I HAVE LIVED, SIR, A LONG TIME AND THE LONGER I LIVE THE MORE CONVINCING PROOF I SEE OF THIS TRUTH, THAT GOD GOVERNS IN THE AFFAIRS OF MEN.”
A strong religious statement, a strong belief in God even if not necessarily the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is apparent, based upon the historical record, that the majority of the founding fathers, those who were responsible for our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, and the moral foundation of our country, were in fact orthodox Christians.
And, hear the words of John Adams who said:
“OUR CONSTITUTION WAS MADE ONLY FOR A MORAL AND RELIGIOUS PEOPLE. IT IS WHOLLY INADEQUATE TO THE GOVERNMENT OF ANY OTHER.”
To paraphrase those words, the further America moves away from its religious roots, and the morality contained therein, the more our very special Constitution looses value and authority, and it becomes, as John Adams well said, “inadequate to the government of any non-Christian or non-religious entity or nation.”
But more importantly for the long term, Noah Webster, legislator, judge, educator, and soldier in the revolution, said:
“THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION IS THE BASIS, OR RATHER THE SOURCE, OF ALL GENUINE FREEDOM IN GOVERNMENT. I AM PERSUADED (SAID WEBSTER) THAT NO CIVIL GOVERNMENT OF A REPUBLICAN FORM CAN EXIST AND BE DURABLE IN WHICH THE PRINCIPLES OF CHRISTIANITY HAVE NOT A CONTROLLING INFLUENCE.”
Not only were the doctrine and theology of Christianity important, but the principles, the moral precepts of Christianity were absolutely essential to any government and especially the founding of the government and the nation of the United States of America. The founding fathers identified Christianity as fundamental to the creation of our country and even more importantly, ESSENTIAL to the continuation of self-governance. The principles and concepts of the Ten Commandments, the wisdom of the prophets of old, and the moral teachings of Jesus Christ in the gospels, and the Pauline principles in the New Testament books thereafter, were indeed the spiritual, philosophic, and political basis upon which America was founded, established in time, and counted upon as absolutely ESSENTIAL for the continuation and survival of this great country.
But, these same solidly Christian founding fathers made it very clear that no one would be compelled to adopt Christianity, believe in it, or practice the principles of Christian theology. Every other legitimate religion would be respected and fully allowed, embodied so clearly in the words of our First Amendment:
“CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW RESPECTING AN ESTABLISHMENT OF RELIGION OR PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE THEREOF.”
America, then and now, would never permit under any circumstances one religion to be adopted by the country, like England of old, no religion established, forced, or required for any citizen in any way. In fact, just the opposite, it was the absolute right of every citizen of this great country that each would be permitted the very free exercise of any legitimate religion anywhere in this country.
But understand my fellow Americans, that this First Amendment freedom and absolute right applied only to the Federal Government. That allowed the individual states, 13 at the time, to openly advocate for certain religious practices if the majority of the citizens of that state so decided. In actual historical fact, 8 of the 13 states had a state recognized or endorsed church or religion. 8 OUT OF 13! Some of the states even required public officials to be Christians as a precondition to holding office. Every one of the 13 states openly and publicly promoted Christianity through their educational systems requiring all children in the educational system to be instructed in the “truth of Christianity.”
So then, the moral principles, the practices and beliefs which underly our Constitution and our Bill of Rights fully revealed in inspired scripture are indeed the foundation, the source, the basis of all of the freedoms and inalienable rights which we enjoy and so often, to our shame, take for granted. America and WE THE PEOPLE were at one time fully Christian, moral in our lifestyle and way of life, strong spiritual beliefs that themselves made us strong. How far this great country and We The People have moved from our very special spiritual beginnings and it is critical, crucial, absolutely essential that we return to these very same critical and essential principles, way of life, if this great country will continue and even survive. Our God is real, the very basic and most essential part of the founding of our country and without His blessing and without our moral change-back, America cannot survive. There is time and opportunity to do just that, and we cannot allow those forces which are essentially anti-American and as such, anti-Christian to prevail.
NOW MORE THAN EVER, WE THE PEOPLE MUST FIGHT THE FIGHT OF FAITH!