Religion, Morality and America’s Founders

There is a direct correlation between the state of America and the lack of Christian principles being taught. There is no mystery here. Join me as I explore religion, morality, and America’s Founders.

“The practice of morality being necessary for the well-being of society, He (God) has taken care to impress its precepts so indelibly in our heart that they shall not be effaced by the subtleties of our brain. We all agree in the obligation of the moral precepts of Jesus and nowhere will they be found delivered in greater purity than in His discourses.” (- Thomas Jefferson, 1809, letter to Thomas Fishback)

“Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion whose morality is so sublime and pure…are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments.” (-Charles Carroll, signer of the Declaration of Independence, 1802, in a letter to James McHenry) You can read about Charles Carroll in my book about the signers of the Declaration of Independence:

Samuel Adams, one of my favorite patriots, said, “The right to freedom being the gift of the Almighty…The rights of the colonists as Christians…may be best understood by reading and carefully studying the institutions of The Great Law Giver and Head of the Christian Church, which are to be found clearly written and promulgated in the New Testament.” He also stated that, “Liberty will not long survive the total extinction of morals.”

How many of the Ten Commandments are violated on a national level today? Are there idols? Is there adultery? Is there murder? Is there lying? Is there theft? Is there coveting? Is there disobedience to parents? Are all of these at the highest levels of government and corporate America?

The question of how our country can be saved or turned around leads to one answer, and one answer only: the Christian religion. The founders spoke often of “morality and religions” as well as “morality and justice,” terms which can be used many different ways. You can look around you and see how a corrupt society has their own definition of morality and justice, apart from the Bible.

But the majority of the founders of America were Christians. They fought for freedom and created a new nation based on the principles of the God of the Bible, on faith in Jesus Christ. “Righteousness alone can exalt them [America] as a nation. Reader! Whoever thou art, remember this; and in they sphere practise virtue thyself, and encourage it in others. The great pillars of all government and of social life: I mean virtue, morality, and religion. This is the armor, my friend, and this alone, that renders us invincible.” (Patrick Henry, 1765 and 1799)

John Adams, who was instrumental in all aspects of our country’s founding, said, “Our constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

The proof is in the pudding

It’s not hard to make the connection between what we are missing today and why we have the problems we do.The majority of abortions come from pregnancy out of wedlock. The church is afraid to uphold the biblical definition of marriage so as not to offend. Generations of school children have been taught that the Bible is just an oudated history book or a list of harsh rules.

In almost every corner of society, we can see a lack of Biblical principles on display. And to fix these problems, we go out of our way to elect “the right politicians.” But this is just a bandaid on a decapitation. The founders understood all of this. They were not only brave and smart men, they were also very wise.

The overwhelming proof of the Christianity of our founders is there to be found. It’s in their speeches, their letters, their journals, and in the firsthand accounts of those who knew them. Where it’s not: public school classrooms, textbooks, universities, state and national parks, or many history websites.

It’s up to us

So as socialism takes over every aspect of our society, we should not be surprised. We should mourn, and pray, and take back our families. I think the “good ole days” of America are a fading memory. What will we accomplish for God’s kingdom?

Despite what direction America goes, it is our duty as Christians to live by biblical principles. It is our duty to teach them to our children. We must also teach them the principles of liberty as the Founders understood them. They need to know that American cannot last in its current state.

Perhaps some of those children will grow up to influence government in various ways. At the very least, they will grow up to vote with conviction and principle, and to raise another generation to do the same.