America's Godly Heritage

As Election Day approaches, we are writing this letter to inform you of the godly heritage that we have as a nation. We believe it is important for the citizens of our nation to know what has made America great so that we can do what it takes to keep her great.

Virtually every one of the fifty-five Founding Fathers who framed the Constitution were members of orthodox Christian churches and many were outspoken Christians. It was the signers of the Declaration of Independence who started the Sunday School movement as well as several Bible and missionary societies. They were also responsible for penning numerous religious works and publishing many famous Bibles.

At one point during the American Revolution when things were not going particularly well, John Adams was asked if he thought America could actually win the Revolution. He confidently replied: “Yes!—if we fear God and repent of our sins!”

In his farewell address, which was considered so important and its content so profound that for years it appeared as a separate, stand-alone textbook, George Washington stated the following: “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 subvert these great pillars.”

Here are some other quotes by Fathers of our Nation:
· “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.”
—John Adams.
· “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.”
—Benjamin Franklin
· “The only assurance of our nation’s safety is to lay our foundation in morality and religion.”
—Abraham Lincoln
· “Those who will not be ruled by God will be ruled by tyrants”
—William Penn
· “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” —George Washington
· “Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind.”
—United States Supreme Court, 1892

As you can see from these quotes, separating Church and State was not part of the belief system of our nation’s Founders. It is also not found anywhere in our Constitution. The phrase “separation of church and state,” which is used so commonly in our society today, was simply one line in a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to a church in Danbury, Connecticut encouraging them in the fact that our country would not mandate a state religion/denomination. A true student will discover that faith and morality are intrinsically woven into the very fiber of our national history.

In the words of the French statesman Alexis de Tocqueville from 1831, “America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”

As you prepare to vote, please keep in mind that our great country was founded on godly principles and that it is our responsibility to elect people into office who will continue to uphold those principles. Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”

*Many facts in this article were taken from the book America’s Godly Heritage by David Barton.


Pastors Jeff and Rebecca