WAS AMERICA FOUNDED UPON A CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW?

Was America Founded Upon A Christian Worldview?

By Brannon Howse

Was America really founded as a "nation under God"-a Christian nation? Was there a biblical reason why our founders created a constitutional republic rather than a pure democracy? Or was America actually a secular endeavor by secular men? Was the American Revolution perhaps even contrary to the principles of Christianity?

To answer these questions, we'll examine the writings of the Founding Fathers themselves. But first, I want to cite two sources not known for being conservative. What have Newsweek and Time magazines had to say about the religious foundation of America?

In December 1982, Newsweek did a cover story examining the influence of the Bible on America. The story also discussed the fact that Ronald Reagan and the U.S. Congress declared 1983 the year of the Bible. Newsweek writes, "For centuries [the Bible] has exerted an unrivaled influence on American culture, politics, and social life. Now historians are discovering that the Bible, perhaps even more than the Constitution, is our founding document: The source of the powerful myth of the United States as a special, sacred nation, a people called by God to establish a model society, a beacon to the world."³ Although I don't agree that it is any kind of myth, America was founded by men called by God, and I am pleased Newsweek acknowledged that the Bible was an intricate part of the foundation upon which the nation was built.

On May 25, 1987, Time published an article entitled "Looking to Its Roots" in which we read, "Ours is the only country deliberately founded on a good idea. That good idea combines a commitment to man's inalienable rights with the Calvinist belief in an ultimate moral right and sinful man's obligation to do good. These articles of faith, embodied in the Declaration of Independence and in the Constitution, literally govern our lives today."

Any American who wants to know whether America was founded as a nation under God only needs to spend a few hours reading the writings of the Founders. They were such prolific writers that, even today, handwritten letters and diaries by some of the Founders have not been read and studied. However, the thousands of personal writings, letters, journals, and speeches that have been examined reveal a far different picture than what the liberal revisionist historians want you to think.

After reviewing an estimated fifteen thousand items, including newspaper articles, pamphlets, books, monographs, and so on, written between 1760 and 1805 by the fifty-five men who signed the Constitution, professors Donald S. Lutz and Charles S. Hyneman presented their findings in a 1984 American Political Science Review. Their article, "The Relative Influence of European Writers on Late Eighteenth-Century American Political Thought," revealed that the Bible, especially the book of Deuteronomy, contributed 34 percent of all quotations used by our Founding Fathers.4

The other sources cited include:

•   Baron Charles Montesquieu, 8.3 percent

•   Sir William Blackstone, 7.9 percent

•   John Locke, 2.9 percent

•   David Hume, 2.7 percent

•   Plutarch, 1.5 percent

•   Beccaria, 1.5 percent

•   Trenchard and Gordon, 1.4 percent

•   Delolme, 1.4 percent

•   Samuel von Pufendorf, 1.3 percent

•   Cicero, 1.2 percent

•   Hugo Grotius, 0.9 percent

•   Shakespeare, 0.8 percent

•   Vattel, 0.5 percent.

These additional sources also took 60 percent of their quotes from the Bible. Including both direct and indirect citations, the majority of all quotations referenced by the Founders come from Scripture.5

This is not surprising because many of the Founders were the top religious leaders of their day. Consider, for instance, their backgrounds (most of whom signed the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution):

•   Rev. Dr. John Witherspoon was responsible for two American translations of the Bible, including America's first family Bible.

•   Charles Thompson was responsible for Thompson's Bible.

•   Benjamin Rush not only published the first mass-produced Bible in America, but he also founded America's first Bible Society and the Sunday School movement.

•   Francis Hopkins, a church music director, produced the first purely American hymnbook.6

•   John Langdon and Charles Cotesworth Pinckney founded the American Bible Society.

•   Rufus King was founder of the New York Bible and Common Prayer Book Society.

•   James McHenry founded the Maryland Bible Society.

•   Alexander Hamilton formed the Christian Constitutional Society to elect people to office who would support Christianity and the Constitution of the United States.7

•   John Adams wrote to Thomas Jefferson on June 28, 1813, "The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were . . . the general principles of Christianity. . . . I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God."

•   Thomas Jefferson in 1774, while serving in the Virginia Assembly, personally introduced a resolution calling for a day of fasting and prayer. Later, while serving as the governor of Virginia (1779–81), Jefferson decreed a day of "Public and solemn thanksgiving and prayer to the Almighty God."

•   John Jay, the original chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and one of the men most responsible for the Constitution, wrote, "Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty-as well as the privilege and interest-of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."8

•   George Washington in his Farewell Address argued for the vital role of religion and morality in our nation: "Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars."9 And also: "without such a firm foundation, liberties and freedoms were at risk: Let it simply be asked, 'Where is the security for life, for reputation, and for property, if the sense of religious obligation desert?'"10

•   On June 28, 1787, frustrations were running high at the Constitutional Convention when Benjamin Franklin, arguably one of America's least religious founders, admonished his colleagues: "If a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We've been assured in the sacred writing that 'Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.'"11

Footnotes:

4 William J. Federer, The Ten Commandments and Their Influence on American Law (St. Louis, MO: Amerisearch Inc., 2003), 19.

5 Ibid. Federer's sources are as follows: Donald S. Lutz and Charles S. Hyneman, "The Relative Influence of European Writers on Late Eighteenth-Century American Political Thought," American Political Science Review 189 (1984), 189–97. (Courtesy of Dr. Wayne House of Dallas Theological Seminary.) John Eidsmoe, Christianity and the Constitution-The Faith of Our Founding Fathers (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, A Mott Media Book, 1987; 6th printing, 1993), 51–53. Origins of American Constitutionalism (1987). Stephen K. McDowell and Mark A. Beliles, America's Providential History (Charlottesville, VA: Providence Press, 1988), 156.

6 Information provided by David Barton's Wallbuilders (Aledo, TX), www.wallbuilders.com.

7 Ibid.

8 John Jay, The Correspondence and Public Papers of John Jay, 1794–1826, Henry P. Johnson, ed., vol. 4 (Reprinted NY: Burt Franklin, 1970), 393.

9 David Barton, Original Intent (Aledo, TX: Wallbuilders), 214.

10 Washington's Farewell Address.

11 Bill Federer, America's God and Country (St. Louis, MO: Amerisearch, 2000), 247.

By Brannon Howse Email: Brannon@worldviewweekend.com Click here for bio and archived articles

Agreed Posted On: 07/01/08 11:17:41 AM Age 48, AL It appears that 48,CA is promoting anarchy. He continues the same monontonous line of argument, yet apparently argues only against himself, since no one has suggested any of the extreme measures he opposes. WHAT ARE YOU FOR Posted On: 06/27/08 04:08:55 PM Age 64, OH Your posts are all the same. If you read one you have read them all. Quite frankly to say they are tiresome is am understatement. You never answer the questions or counterpoints just keep giving out the same speech. if you are against laws, what do you suggest, that we live in a nation with NO LAWS. You are against almost everything, WHAT ARE YOU FOR. Lou REASON Posted On: 06/26/08 05:28:57 PM Age 64, OH Amen, it is nice to see someone can reason. Lou ALL SCRIPTURE IS TRUE Posted On: 06/26/08 05:24:19 PM Age 64, OH 1ST of all, I never justified ANY WAR. You jumped to that conclusion yourself. But men are sometimes commanded to go to war by The Lord Jesus Christ. How many God's do you think there are. The God Almighty of the Old Testament is The Lord Jesus, is it not. Jesus never changes and His laws never change. It was The Lord Jesus who inspired Abraham to go to war to get Lot, and it was Jesus who blessed Abraham after the war. God never blesses men for doing anything that is their idea. God never blesses the work of men. If Jesus blesses something, then the whole thing was His idea from the start. You mention Romans 13 like it voids the Old Testament. Is Jesus a liar and what Jesus said in the OT not true. No scripture voids another. Some scripture is fulfilled but none is void. Any person who follows the letter of the law, or the Book, will be brought to death. For Jesus says in the scripture that the letter of the law brings death. It is The Spirit of the law ( or Jesus) that brings life. We do not follow Romans 13 but the Author of Romans 13. Romans 13 was written for our instruction, but not for us to follow after it. It simply tells us that we are not to be rebellious for no good reason against the government. This is the same scripture the cowards that lived among the German people used, to say they could not help the Jews who were being killed. These cowards watched little children being carried away to be killed. There were a few good people in the land who stood against the government and helped these children. Most of them died alone with the Jews. But they will not be forgotten and Jesus will reward them for their actions against the government. For you see they did not look to Romans 13 but looked to Jesus. Lou Distrust Christians? Posted On: 06/26/08 09:09:16 AM Age 48, CA Who are the real Christians? The entire mainstream line of Churches has gone insane. Some examples: Dobson had Sean Hennedy appear on his radio program and proclaim "God has blessed this nation withthe most powerfull military which has ever existed and if we do not use it to liberate the world, God will judge us!" Another Pastor chastised Bush for "Stopping in Iraq" Procaliming that we must cointinue on throughout the entire Middle East and then attack China. That we must not stop until the flag of America and Cross of Christ flies over every corner of the world. Shall we discuss how many preachers are giving fiery sermons about "This evil Muslims vs us good Christians" And how Christ commands us to kill them? Funny, I read that there are non rightious, not a one. Any time your "Ministry" Involves passing laws, you are advocating the gospel of force. Such a gospel will be either totally ineffective because law does not change the heqart, it only restricts it. And people will not obey your laws unless you have the force necessary to enforce it so the only way your laws will have any effect is to have SWAT Teams with crosses on thier Kevlar ruthlessly machine gunning down all your heathens. The job of the Church is to change people from within, not to pass laws and force them to obey. Here we go again Posted On: 06/25/08 02:29:23 PM Age 48, AL Again, your assumption that Christians would become SWAT teams defies the basis of Christianity. By switching the nomenclature from Christianity to the "Religious right" you have changed the entire argument. No one is suggesting that religion solves the problem, but Brannon was pointing out the Christian ideals that established this country. The writings of our founding fathers BEFORE the establishment of the country are clear. The basis is the Bible, not any religion. So you need to get your facts and semantics correct before making unwarranted attacks on the statements being made. Also, again, no one has suggested some radical approach of violent enforcement except yourself. It is clear that you distrust Christians by erecting unsupportable and radical claims and clouding the issue by wordsmithing it into something it is not. History reveals that the extreme nature of the taxes England applied to the Colonies was NOT related to the Seven Years War or any other such event, but the desire to restrict the prosperity of the Colonies to enrich the King. As a country that had many different colonies, England had an obligation to support and protect all those colonies as a condition to maintaining ownership of those colonies under their rule. To unfairly apply taxes without any form of recourse was not only unfair to the Colonies, it was inconsistent to what was happening in most of the other colonies of England. The only difference was the prosperity of the future U.S. as compared to less prosperous colonies. Thus, your claim that the taxes were justified is hollow at best. Furthermore, you have misapplied Romans 13 by dismissing the fact that most of the governors of the Colonies at that time were not honoring their obligation to govern honestly, nor were they all following the rules established by England. If the Colonies were to give what was due to the authorities, the fact that they did NOT give what was NOT due (i.e. overtaxation, corruption, forced bribes, etc.) is not in violation of Romans 13. Also, when you look at the example of ALL Scripture, not just one passage, you will see that we must honor God first. When England or their governors demanded corruption, exhibited corruption and practiced torture and murder against God's word, the colonialists were not obliged to follow suit. Additionally, the Colonies did attempt to withdraw amicably from England to establish their own country. Since England responded with violence, the Colonialists were justified in defending themselves. I end with the irrational exclamation you make that we are dropping bombs on "those evil Muslims". You again use a straw man argument with that completely false statement. The fact that the majority of terrorists claim Islam as their religion is irrelevant to our defense against the terrorism. Your claim is nonsensical at best and undefendable with facts. We have not indiscriminately attacked anyone because of their Muslim beliefs. Nor does the United States practice that kind of violence. Many extreme Islamists do practice that kind of violence, however, even if you illogically equate Christian beliefs with Islam beliefs. You should really study the Islamic faith to realize the background is not based on the love of Christ, but on the hatred of Jews and Christians. Simply read portions of the Koran and you will realize this religion that is based on hate. Even still, the U.S. does not target Muslims, only terrorists. So your whole point is completely wrong as is the premise behind most of your arguments. It goes both ways Posted On: 06/25/08 01:19:16 PM Age 48, CA You love to use the OT as justification for war and Yet, Romans 13 says otherwise. Even when God does grant victory, it is for HIS purpose and when he is done with that nation, casts it aside. There is no room for the arrogant attitude that WE are Gods nation and commanded to go to war in his name. Such arrogance NEVER goes unpunished. THE MARK OF THE CROSS Posted On: 06/25/08 01:16:16 PM Age 64, OH Dear friend; please read Ezekiel 9. You will see that God destroyed every person in Jerusalem that did not have the mark. God told the angel to put the mark on everyone who grieved and lamented over the sin they see around them.- You answer back but ignore the fact that you accused me of things that I never said or do not believe in. Most people that I know would call that sin. The sin closest to us and all around us is the sin that we commit. DO YOU GRIEVE OVER THE SIN THAT YOU COMMIT. It is the only way to have the mark put on your forehead. The mark is the cross marked in the blood of Jesus on our forehead. Everyone should be able to see this cross on our forehead. It is on our head so should effect all of our thoughts and actions. Grace and peace to you. Lou A law is only as good as ones ability to enforce it Posted On: 06/25/08 10:27:00 AM Age 48, CA If left to their devices, the Religious right would indeed have SWAT teams with Crosses on thier Kevlar kicking in doors and machine gunning heritics in the same manner that are currently blessing the bombs being dropped on "Those evil Muslims" Let he who is without sin press the first launch button. Really? Posted On: 06/25/08 10:24:11 AM Age 48, CA When one takes into account the Seven years War, all of a sudden the Colonists were not so innocent. Since the King did snd troops to protect the colonies, it was only faith that the Colonies pay thier fare share of the costs of that war. Did not Jesus preach to "Render unto Ceasar thge things that are Ceasars?' When the Coloniosts rebelled, they violated Romans 13.