According to Brooke Allen in the article, “Our Godless Constitution,” the American constitution is not founded on Christianity principles as most people claim. According to the author, the American constitution was founded on enlightenment principles and God was only a minor player, while Jesus Christ was conspicuously absent. Brooke assertions are that the constitution does not mention God and the omission is too obvious and deliberate. The article says that when Alexander Hamilton was asked about this apparent omission, he stated that the new nation did not need any foreign aid, while in another occasion he simply said they simply forgot. Brooke Allen laments that the most important document in the American history does not mention a deity, which is quite appalling. According to Brooke, if God is considered the foundation of the American nation, then you would not know this fact by reading the U.S. constitution. According to the author, God only gets two brief mentions in the constitution. In the first instance, he gets a brief nod in the reference to the “Laws of Nature and Nature’s God” in the declaration of independence. The other mention of his name is in the famous line that says that men are “endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.” After the end of the founding period, the blatant references to a deity was made as, “In God we trust,” was coined after the Civil War. The Pledge of Allegiance introduced, “Under God” in 1954 during the McCarthy hysteria. Brooke further says that the Treaty of Tripoli of 1797 is very clear that the US nation was not founded under the Christianity religion. Timothy Pickering, the Secretary Of State’s endorsed this treaty as well as president John Adams. When it was sent ... ... middle of paper ... ... the condition of mankind, as in all times some must be rich, some poor, some high and eminent in power and dignity; others mean and in submission.” (166) In this verse, it is clear that Winthrop is trying to establish the puritan notions idealism whereby everyone is created with a purpose. The two historic literatures are an indication of the American exceptionalism which can be traced to the country’s puritan roots. Most of the puritans believed in the middle ground which was between the less strict divine providence and Calvinist predestination. According to John Winthrop, the New England puritan community was expected to be a city upon the hill, meaning that the community was expected to serve as a model to the rest of the world. Indeed, the American constitution is based on the Puritan roots with deep moralistic values upheld as part of the national identity.
The foundation upon which all of his principles are laid was that our basic law originated in God; however, Skousen’s argument for this fundamental premise is futile. He fruitlessly quoted individuals that will be recognized as authorities to form a cogent argument; nevertheless, he failed in proving his view that the American Constitution is founded solely upon Biblical law. Although emphasized frequently throughout the book, the Constitution never implied that the existence of a Creator is necessary for freedom in a body of people. Skousen never once acknowledged to readers that Mormon theology is the source for many of his ideas, although his depiction of America is primarily dominated by his devout Mormonism.
In the 2008 the United States Census Bureau, Self-Described Religious Identification of Adult Population, The Christian faith proved to be the more dominating religion out of all religions. So it would seem the words “Under God” would be beneficial for the majority, the Pledge of Allegiance allures and supports the loyalty of the majority of citizens. The nonbelievers of religion have had the right to not recite the pledge since 1943 but have been asked to quietly stand while the believers recite the pledge in its entirety. Even though leaving out “Under God” is not a difficult task we can clearly see a division has now developed, opposite of bringing the people together. Another example that shows the pledge allures and supports a loyalty to the majority of citizens, the acceptance and encouragement to keep ...
Religion was the foundation of the early Colonial American Puritan writings. Many of the early settlements were comprised of men and women who fled Europe in the face of persecution to come to a new land and worship according to their own will. Their beliefs were stalwartly rooted in the fact that God should be involved with all facets of their lives and constantly worshiped. These Puritans writings focused on their religious foundations related to their exodus from Europe and religions role in their life on the new continent. Their literature helped to proselytize the message of God and focused on hard work and strict adherence to religious principles, thus avoiding eternal damnation. These main themes are evident in the writings of Jonathan Edwards, Cotton Mathers, and John Winthrop. This paper will explore the writings of these three men and how their religious views shaped their literary works, styles, and their historical and political views.
This essay does not attempt to make a case that the United States of America has special standing with God as a modern chosen nation. I do not dispute that America is exceptional. However, American Exceptionalism applies to exceptional qualities of the United States in relationship to other nations. At its inception those qualities included limited government that exists to protect and defend the free exercise of inalienable human rights. But even these noble principles do not indicate the United States exists because God established an exclusive and
First, I would like to talk about the history of the Pledge of Allegiance. Many people today recite the Pledge of Allegiance but do not know the history that took place behind it. The Pledge of Allegiance was originally written more than a century ago. The original pledge was: I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic, for which it stands, one Nation, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all . The flag serves as a symbol of our country and its proud traditions of freedom and equal opportunity. In the 1920s, the National Flag Conferences replaced the phrase “my Flag” with “the Flag of the United States of America.” In 1954, Communist threats occurred causing Congress to add the words under God to the pledge. Then 12 years later, Congress reviewed the Pledge of Allegiance and added the words “Under God .” While reciting the Pledge of Allegiance it should be recited by standing placing your
“Religion and the Founding of the American Republic.” Library of Congress. Accessed May 14, 2014. http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel04.html.
...ith liberty and justice for all.” Without God, the Pledge becomes less convoluted and more expressible. There will be less people who say it in vain, less controversy, and more admiration and devotion.
Many people claim that the founding fathers were atheists, those who don’t believe in the existence of God. They claim that the founders were Deist as well, people who believe in a Creator who doesn’t intertwine with humanity’s daily affairs. However, when one looks at the first prayer given by Reverend Jacob Duché during the Continental Congress of 1774, it offers a very different school of thought. The assembly of Congressmen was composed of men from all over the colonies and it was a mix of various denominations. It was evident that the political proceeding had religious roots when Duché’s insp...
Overall, when looking at the American Revolution and the actors who played a role in its creation, it is plain to see that religion had an impact and influential stance in the founding of the nation. The heart of dissent was entrenched in the colonies before there was a revolution and the practices of religious tolerance, freedom, democracy, and liberty were found in several organizations and churches. It would only be time until the members of the several churches and organizations would bleed over their spiritual justifications into the realm of politics and nation building. The United States owes a lot of praise to the pilgrims and religious founders of this nation, for without their ideals and changes, this country might not be in existence today.
Religious influence has always been part of the American Government since the beginning. Even in the earliest history of the creation of our Government with the Declaration of Independence God is mentioned in the first paragraph. Though religion over the past two centuries has proven to be an influence on the United States government the influence has a relatively good standing. Religious influence in State and law has been a medium in the beginning of the governmental system but still set influence. The influence though pertained to the religion and idealism of the individuals carrying it ...
December 15, 1791 the First Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, guaranteeing that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech." At an absolute minimum, the Establishment Clause was intended to prohibit the federal government from declaring and financially supporting a national religion, such as existed in many other countries at the time of the nation's founding (University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2011). Prefacing the institution of the Establishment Clause, society was becoming increasingly concerned that the government was dictating to the people which type of religion they should favor. The tables turned back in forth either favoring Catholicism or Protestantism. Tax dollars were being used to support whatever was being called the state church. During the time that Pierce v. Society of Sisters was being heard, people were becoming increasingly tired of the punishment, imprisonment and increased taxation that was occurring for not conforming to the prevailing religion.
he Pledge of Allegiance has undergone a few minor changes since it was composed in 1892, but the most significant, and controversial change is the addition of the words “Under God” in 1954 by Congress. Since the Pledge of Allegiance is considered the official mantra of the United States Government, should our government continue to include the words "under God" in the pledge, or should it be removed? In a country where the constitution expresses separation of church and state, was the Federal Appeals Court correct when the pledge was judged unconstitutional because of the words “Under God” ?
The men who founded America were men with deep religious beliefs and a firm faith in God. They based their actions and decisions on what the Bible teaches, and used God’s laws to write the laws of our nations. Benjamin Franklin once said “Here is my Creed. I believe in one God, the Creator of the Universe. That He governs it by His Providence. That He ought to be worshipped…as to Jesus of Nazareth, my opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the system of morals and his religion, as he left them to us, is the best the world ever saw, or is likely to see.” (Franklin, Founding Faith Archive). His statement was not only indicative of his beliefs, but of the beliefs of the rest of the founding fathers. They believed that a successful country was built upon principles laid out in the Bible by God, and that ultimately, the “ideal society” could be formed if everyone adhered to the guidelines established throughout the word of God. While these men were not deities that served as any sort of moral standard, they did serve as Godly influences. Their belief that the guidelines for a successful country were written in the Bible ultimately led to these men laying the foundation for one of the most dominant societies this world has ever seen.
was now an independent country, the Constitution laid out guidelines and rules on how the country should run or work. 1-The Declaration of Independence is only a statement that proclaims that the 13 colonies were independent states and no longer under British rule. 2-The Constitution is the basis of the U.S. government and is the supreme law of the land. 3-Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, and it was then edited by the Continental Congress, which unanimously adopted it on July 4, 1776. As a result, this is why We American citizens celebrate Independence Day on July 4. 4-The Constitution was written in 1787 by a convention of all the states which was called for the purpose of recommending changes in the old government. The Constitution, after getting approval from the states, came into effect in 1789. Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptist was written in 1802 and must also be read in context of his declaration in the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom that “Almighty God hath created the mind free….” In reiterating the question of this assignment “What do you think the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution thought about the separation of church and state or about the separation of God from government?” The “wall of separation” exists to affirm natural rights, including those of faith and religious worship. This separation does
First off, our nation was found by Christians that embedded their beliefs into their work in founding this Christian nation. The founders added a system of checks and balances from the understanding “…if men were angels, no government would be necessary” (America is a Christian Nation). A majority of the founders were in fact, Christian. Over 80% of the founders held a belief in a denomination, or section under, the Christian Church. There are constitutional religious references such as “In God We Trust” and “…one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.” and are considered constitutional because they were accepted by our founding fathers and written into the constitution. These are not even required to be respected but they come across as constitutional.