God and State

A significant exhibit just closed at the Library of Congress. It was entitled, "Religion and the Founding of the American Republic." The one inescapable conclusion of it is that the founders of this republic did not intend to establish, as present "intellectuals" contend, a secular state. They considered religion vital to its establishment and maintenance. And by "religion" they meant Christianity, though George Washington promised there would be no persecution of other religions, and specifically Judaism.

The supposed influence of Desists was in no way dominant. The only two mentioned were Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Jefferson was always a "weak" Deist, and in later life definitely came to believe in a providential God, affecting history, and claimed to be a true Christian. Jefferson 's "wall between church and state" was written to oppose tax support of churches, and to stop the persecution of Danbury , Connecticut Baptists by state favored and tax supported Episcopalians.

Two days after writing that, Jefferson began a long period of worshipping with others in the House of Representatives, an assembly which became the largest gathering in the nation for worship each Sunday. Religious services were also held in the Supreme Court. Between Jefferson and Lincoln historians see "evangelicalism as a kind of national... religion." (Exhibit Booklet). Washington and John Adams, who described himself as "a church going animal," offered strong support for religion, Adams saying, "It is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principle upon which Freedom can securely stand." Following them, Jefferson and Madison gave religion powerful support, though present voices claim they were less hospitable to religion.

Today's Supreme Court should have crossed the street to view this historical exhibit. It would show them how wrong they and other courts have been in the basis for their recent decisions. After studying America , Alexis de Toqueville in 1835 observed in his great work, Democracy in America, "I do not know whether all the Americans have a sincere faith in their religion for who can read the human heart? But I am certain that they hold it to be indispensable to the maintenance of republican institutions. This opinion is not peculiar to a class of citizens or to a part, but it belongs to the whole nation and to every rank of society."

Contrast this with a Deistic and present denominational declaration that God is uninvolved in history, "invading the physical world not at all" (The United Church of Christ, p. 44). The founders of this nation believed, and the Bible declares of God, "His judgments are in all the earth" (I Chron. 16:14 ). Jesus was to rule the earth (Psm. 110:1-3), and he would do so with a rod of iron, dashing defiant nations "to pieces like a potter's vessel" (Psm. 2:8-9). Thus he was declared to be "ruler of the kings of the earth" (Rev. 2:5).

Today's secular perceptions have come from re-written history and are lies. This nation has been blessed because God blessed it. In its antagonism to Him and His Truth, he will judge it. To allay that, we need to pull a Ninevah (Jonah 3:5-9). The king and all the people repented. If our leaders and people do not have that much faith, we are far removed from where we started. -- Dale Smelser