Look at what John Adams said:
[W]e 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.
What about Benjamin Franklin:
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. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that "except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it." I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better, than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing governments by human wisdom and leave it to chance, war and conquest.
I therefore beg leave to move that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service.
How about the Pennsylvania Supreme Court (1824):No free government now exists in the world, unless where Christianity is acknowledged, and is the religion of the country.
Or Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence:
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.
And that guy known as the first president, George Washington:
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 of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of man and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connexions with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked, Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice?
And 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 of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle. It is substantially true, that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government. The rule, indeed, extends with more or less force to every species of free government. Who, that is a sincere friend to it, can look with indifference upon attempts to shake the foundation of the fabric?
Should I go on? Here is a list numerous other writings from our founders: Historical writingsOur freedom stands alone on the principles of the Christian faith so soundly followed by our founding fathers. Yes, some were deists, but even they leaned towards the Christian God. Besides a deist is one who believes in God but believe that God doesn't take an active role in man's affairs.
Virtue was important to these men and they knew it was foundation for our constitution. As John Adams says:
[I]t 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.
We cannot turn our backs upon God now. Mr. President, get it right. Stop pandering to the leftist view of demeaning the Christian faith which minimizes its impact on our entire society. Without our Christian beliefs, this nation would not exist - I guarantee it!
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1 comment:
I think you are showing that the FFs thought "religion in general" was important for good government. However, few of them demonstrate that they thought CHRISTIANITY exclusively what HAD to underpin government (I have many quotations that show they didn't think this). Further, even when they "talked up" Christianity, their understanding of "Christianity" was NOT the same as evangelical Christians' or Roman Catholics'. It was not an "orthodox Trinitarian" understanding of Christianity, but a "unitarian" understanding that elevated works over faith for salvation.
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