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“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.” #33–George Washington “Let
us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained
without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of
refined education on minds … reason and experience both
forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion
of religious principle.”#34
-George Washington “I
have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more
convincing proofs I see of this truth – that God governs
in the affairs of men. 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.” #38
-Ben Franklin "One of the beautiful boasts of our municipal jurisprudence is that Christianity is a part of the Common Law … There never has been a period in which the common Law did not recognize Christianity as lying at its foundations … I verily believe Christianity necessary to the support of civil society." #42–Joseph Story, Supreme Court Justice, founder of Harvard Law School. “Human Law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is Divine … 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 … forms an essential part of both.” #43-James Wilson, signer of the Constitution, original Supreme Court Justice, coauthor of America’s first Commentaries on the Constitution. “Let us enter on this important business under the idea that we are Christians on whom the eyes of the world are now turned …Let us in the first place … humbly and penitently implore the aid of the Almighty God whom we profess to serve – let us earnestly call and beseech him for Christ’s sake to preside in our councils.” #44-Elias Boudinot, President of the Continental Congress "The Christian religion –its general principles –must ever be regarded among us as the foundation of civil society." #45–Daniel Webster "The
religion which has introduced civil liberty is the religion of
Christ and His apostles … and to this we owe our free constitutions
of government." #46–Noah
Webster “Whatever strikes at the root of Christianity tends manifestly to the dissolution of civil government.” #49-U.S. Supreme Court, citing a previous 1811 court ruling. And from a recent statesman: "Without God, there is no virtue, because there's no prompting of the conscience. Without God, we're mired in the material, that flat world that tells us only what the senses perceive. Without God, there is a coarsening of the society. And without God, democracy will not and cannotbv long endure. If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under." #50-Ronald Reagan …where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. –2 Corinthians 3:17, NIV
These religious displays have met with little argument until just recently. It is an amazing fact that during our first 200 years … these overt Christian expressions have been painted or engraved upon our state and national monuments and currency; Christian ideology has been inbred deeply within our laws; Congress has traditionally opened with prayer; school days started with prayer until the unfortunate court ruling in 1962; and Thanksgiving and Christmas were official national holidays obviously devoted to Christian events and tradition. And yet liberal ideologues today promulgate the idea that from the beginning, the founding fathers never intended even a hint of religion to enter into the governmental arena! If their assessment of “separation of church and state” is true, then how on earth did all the previous government officials miss what was such an obvious breach of the First Amendment for the first 150 years?? The answer is clear. The acknowledgement or encouragement of God in the public or government arena was not in conflict with the First Amendment at all. In fact, the founding fathers encouraged God and His influence within government, education, and society, because they instinctively understood that our new nation would not survive long without His input, and His blessing.
33) George Washington, Address of George Washington, President of the United States . . .Preparatory to His Declination (Baltimore: George and Henry S. Keating, 1796), pp. 22-23. [return to document] 34) Id. [return to document] 35) The Daily Advertiser (New York), May 1, 1789, p. 2; see also American State Papers: Documents Legislative and Executive, of the Congress of the United States (Washington: Gales and Seaton, 1833), Vol. I, pp. 9-10, April 30, 1789. [return to document] 36) John Quincy Adams, An Oration Delivered Before the Inhabitants of the Town of Newburyport at Their Request on the Sixty-First Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1837 (Newburyport: Charles Whipple, 1837), pp. 5-6. [return to document] 37) Alfred Armand Montapert, Distilled Wisdom (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc., 1965) p. 36. Also Henry Halley, Halley’s Bible Handbook, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1927, 1965), p. 18. “Our Christian Heritage”, Letter from Plymouth Rock (Marlborough, NH: The Plymouth Rock Foundation), p. 5. George Sivan, The Bible and Civilization (New York: Quadrangle/The New York Times Book Co., 1973), p. 178. Gary DeMar, The Untold Story (Atlanta, GA: American Vision, Inc., 1993), p. 59. [return to document] 38) James Madison, The Papers of James Madison, Henry D. Gilpin, editor (Washington: Langtree and O’Sullivan, 1840), Vol. II, pp. 984-986, June 28, 1787. [return to document]
39) Benjamin Franklin,
The Works of Benjamin Franklin, Jared Sparks, editor (Boston: 40) John Adams, The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States, Charles Frances Adams, editor (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1854), Vol. IX, p. 229, to the Officers of the First Brigade of the Third Division of the Militia of Massachusetts on October 11, 1798. [return to document] 41) Moses Coit Tyler, Patrick Henry (New York: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1897), p. 409, to Archibald Blair on January 8, 1799. [return to document]
42) Joseph Story,
Life and Letters of Joseph Story, William W. Story, editor (Boston: 43) James Wilson, The Works of the Honourable James Wilson, Bird Wilson, editor (Philadelphia: Bronson and Chauncey, 1804), Vol. I, pp. 104-106, “Of the General Principles of Law and Obligation.” [return to document]
44) Elias Boudinot,
The Life, Public Services, Addresses, and Letters of Elias Boudinot,
45) Daniel Webster,
Mr. Webster’s Speech in Defence of the Christian Ministry
and in 46) Noah Webster, History of the United States (New Haven: Durrie & Peck, 1832), p. 339, 53. [return to document] 47) March 30, 1863. James D. Richardson, A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents, 1789-1897 (Published by Authority of Congress, 1899), vol. VI, p. 164. Gary DeMar, God and Government, A Biblical and Historical Study (Atlanta, GA: American Vision Press, 1984), p. 128-29. Also David Barton, The Myth of Separation (Aledo, TX: WallBuilder Press, 1991), p. 259. Also Benjamin Weiss, God in American History: A Documentation of America’s Religious Heritage (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1966), p. 92. Willard Cantelon, Money Master of the World (Plainfield, NJ: Logos International, 1976), p. 120. “Our Christian Heritage,” Letter from Plymouth Rock (Marlborough, NH: The Plymouth Rock Foundation), p. 6. Gary DeMar, The Untold Story (Atlanta, GA: American Vision, Inc., 1993), pp. 53, 99. [return to document] 48) Church of the Holy Trinity v. U.S., 465, 471 (1892). [return to document]
49) People v.Ruggles,
8 Johns 546 (Sup. Ct. NY. 1811). [return to document]
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In
fact, a large portion of the founding fathers felt that Christianity
was the very basis for a free society
… and that it was essential in keeping government leaders
and citizens moral, and therefore indispensable
to the peace and good order of a new republic. Consider
the following founders’ quotes:
These
are but a few examples from a vast wealth of quotations
that convey the Christian Political beliefs of our early fathers.
Christianity’s influence was largely welcomed into the framing
of public policy and law. Had this not been so, American
jurisprudence would not have had its basis in Judeo-Christian
law, taken from Biblical scripture.
Likewise, there would be no Bible verses, Ten Commandments,
or paintings of religious acts displayed or etched
onto dozens of our national and state edifices under the authority,
direction, agreement, and support of our forefathers. 
