Part 3 of 4 - Religion in Government Trial

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Continued from Post Jan. 19, 2010 Titled; "Separation of Church and State"



Part 3. Our founders expected us to intentionally use religion to keep our government healthy.

God’s Help earnestly requested in the work of the Continental Congress:
“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 lace… 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.” - Elias Boudinot, President of the Continental Congress.

Only religion can stop crime before it starts:
“The precepts of philosophy laid hold of actions only… (but Jesus) pushed his scrutinizes into the heart of man, erecting his tribunal in the region of his thoughts, and purified the waters at the fountainhead.” - Thomas Jefferson
“We 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 a religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” - John Adams

One of America’s first education laws:
From The Code of 1650:
“It being one chief project of that old deluder Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of the Scriptures, as in former times by keeping them in an unknown tongue, so in these latter times by persuading from the use of tongues, that so that at least the true sense and meaning of the original might be clouded and corrupted with false glosses of saint-seeming deceivers; and to the end that learning may not be buried in the grave of our forefathers, in church and commonwealth, the Lord assisting our endeavors.
It is therefore ordered that every township in this jurisdiction, after the Lord hath increased them to fifty households, shall forthwith appoint one within their town to teach all such children as shall resort to him to write and read, whose wages shall be paid either by the parents or masters of such children, or by the inhabitants general…
And it is further ordered, that when any town shall increase to the number of one hundred families or householders, they shall set up a grammer school, the master thereof being able to instruct the youth so far as they may be fitted for the university.”
The Old Deluder Act: From Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England II: 203
Clearly this law states that the purpose of public education is that its students might have a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures, believing that Satan used the government sponsored church of England to keep the Scriptures from the common man, which resulted in the suffering of the times prior to the Reformation which they had so recently become free of.

40 years later, The 1690 Connecticut Illiteracy Law:
“This (legislature) observing that not withstanding our former orders made for the education of children… there are many persons unable to read the English tongue, and thereby incapable of reading the Holy Word of God or the good laws of this (state).”

The New England Primer:
The first and longest lasting text book in America.
First published in 1690 in Boston by Benjamin Harris, it lasted continuously until the 1900s.
The 1900 edition described the impact of the Primer:
“The New England Primer was one of the greatest books ever published. It went through innumerable editions; it reflected in a marvelous way the spirit of the age that produced it, and contributed, perhaps more than any other book except the Bible, to the molding of those sturdy generations that gave to America its liberty and its institutions.”
Our founders were educated at an early age from teachings such as are found in the New England Primer. From cover to cover the Primer is more a book of Sunday school lessons than what you would think to find in public schools. It is clear from the Primer alone that our founders had no thought of separating religion and government, because the primer shows that early Americans revered God in everything done in life and therefore expected to pass that value on to latter generations through the public schools.
A faithful reprint of the 1777 Primer can be obtained at http://www.wallbuilders.com
Although this textbook was published by a private individual, it was the staple of young children educated in government established schools.

Congress enacts the printing of the Bible:
The last major battle of the American Revolution, (the war with the British crown) ended in 1781, thus turning the idea of independence from theory to reality. With this new established freedom from the laws of England, even before England signed an official peace treaty, Congress enacted in the same year, the printing of the first English language Bible printed in America, called “The Bible of the Revolution”.
On September 12, 1782 the full congress approved this bible and 20,000 copies were published making the U.S. Congress the first American Bible Society.
Printed in the front of that bible is a Congressional Endorsement; “Resolved, that the United States in Congress Assembled… recommend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States.”
The Congressional Record refers to this bible as; “A neat addition of the Holy Scriptures for the use of our schools.”

Why does Congress pray each morning before work?:
After weeks of heated deliberation for the writing of the United States Constitution,
Benjamin Franklin, one of the eldest statesmen present, made a speech to George Washington, the president of the constitutional Convention:
“Mr. President: In this situation of this Assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of Lights to illuminate our understanding? In the beginning of the contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for the Divine protection. Our prayers, sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor…And have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? Or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance? 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… 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.”
Benjamin Franklin June 28, 1787
It is remarkable that this man, whom today is called; ‘one of the least religious founders’ was able to invoke from memory passages of scripture from James 1:17, Genesis 11, Psalm 127:1 and Matthew 10:29 in order to make his point.
The result of this convention was a uniquely American document with ideas never before collected into a written constitution. As a result out nation has endured over 230 years, longer than any other government under a single document.

Religion in our Law schools:
James Wilson, signer of both Declaration and Constitution, an original Justice on the US Supreme Court, Started the first organized legal training in America, teaching his law school at the same time sitting on the bench of the Supreme Court.
In his legal textbook for his students he wrote:
“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… Our all-gracious Creator, Preserver, and Ruler has been pleased to discover and enforce His laws by a revelation given to us immediately and directly from Himself. This revelation is contained in the Holy Scriptures.” - James Wilson
Because Divine law was the basis of American law, the 10 Commandments were more frequently found in civil buildings than in religious buildings.

Fisher Ames:
A framer of the Bill of Rights, and the Congressional member who proposed the final wording of the 1st amendment as passed in 1789.
In 1801 he wrote:
“It has been the custom of late years to put a number of little books into the hands of children, containing fables and moral lessons. This is very well because it is right first to raise curiosity and then to guide…
Why then, if these books for children must be retained, as they will be, should not the Bible regain the place it once held as a school book? Its morals are pure; its examples, captivating and noble. The reverence for the Sacred Book that is thus early impressed lasts long, and probably, if not impressed in infancy, never takes firm hold of the mind.” - Fisher Ames in 1801 book titled Schoolbooks
This from the man who carefully proposed the final wording of the 1st amendment in question!

The basis of all our laws:
“The moral principles and precepts contained in the Scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws…”
Noah Webster’s schoolbook; ‘The History of the United States’ 1832


Supreme Court rules; Religion must be kept in our public schools:
In the generation following the founding fathers, we have an example of how the courts interpreted the intent of the founders regarding religion’s influence in the public schools.
In this case a Philadelphia school announced that it would teach morality but not religion in that it would not allow ministers on campus.
Daniel Webster argued this case before the Supreme Court.
Mr. Webster’s argument was based on the idea that this provision was an attempt to prevent religious instruction at the school. In his argument, he told the court;
“when little children were brought into the presence of the Son of God, His disciples proposed to send them away, but (Jesus) said, “Suffer little children to come unto me (Matthew 19:14). Unto me!...And that injunction is of perpetual obligation; it addresses itself today with the same earnestness and the same authority which attended its fist utterance to the Christian world. It is of force everywhere and at all times; it extends to the ends of the earth, it will reach to the end of time always and everywhere sounding in the ears of men with an… authority which nothing can supersede. “Suffer little children to come unto Me.”
Daniel Webster 1844 - ‘Mr. Webster’s speech in defense of the Christian ministry and in favor of the religious instruction of the young, Delivered in the Supreme Court of the United States February 10th 1844’ in the case; Vidal v. Girard
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of Webster’s argument, written by Justice Joseph Story the Supreme Court declared;
“Why may not the Bible, and especially the New Testament, without note or comment, be read and taught as a Divine revelation in the (schools) - Its general precepts expounded… and its glorious principles of morality inculcated? Where can the purest principles of morality be learned so clearly or so perfectly as from the New Testament? Where are benevolence, the love of truth, sobriety, and industry, so powerfully and irresistibly inculcated as in the Sacred Volume?”
I include this here even though this was not from the founders, because being a generation removed from the founders, it clearly shows that after the founders documents were well established, But near enough to the authors generation, this Court above any other is perhaps best qualified to show the true intent, in action, of the Laws the founders established. This case shows nearly the identical efforts of some to remove religion from the government schools that we see today, but the court ruled in favor of religion then, but opposed to religion today. In recent times the courts have clearly changed, but the law, and the intent has not.

1892 'Columbian History on Education in Kansas’ by the Kansas Teachers Association:
“If the study of the Bible is to be excluded from all State schools - if the inculcation of the principles of Christianity is to have no place in the daily program - if the worship of God is to form no part of the general exercises of these public elementary schools - then the good of the State would be better served by restoring all schools to church control.”
State Superintendent of Public Instruction 1892.
What were the three points which the writer thought important to remain in the schools? Teach the Bible.
Inculcate the principles of Christianity.
Incorporate the daily worship of God.
The founders desire to keep religion in the government institutions was so well seated that nearly 100 years after the writing of the 1st Amendment, the attempt to remove religion from public schools had not yet been successful!

We have a duty to elect Christians to public office:
“Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty - as well as the privilege and interest - of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.” John Jay - original Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

It is clear that the Christian religion has been intentionally an integral part of government from its formation, and that until recently, it has constantly fended off the perpetual attempts to remove religion from government, rather than fended off attempts to include religion in government as our present generation assumes.

What element is vital to our system?
In 1853 a group petitioned congress to separate Christian principles from government.
The House Judiciary Committee Report came back March 27, 1854
“Had the people (the founding fathers), during the Revolution, a suspicion of any attempt to war against Christianity, that Revolution would have been strangled in its cradle… At the time of the adoption of the Constitution and its amendments, the universal sentiment was that Christianity should be encouraged, but not any one sect (denomination). In this age, there is no substitute fore Christianity... That was the religion of the founders of the republic and they expected it to remain the religion of their descendants.”
Two months later they added:
“The great vital and conservative element in our system (the thing that holds our system together) is the belief of our people in the pure doctrines and the divine truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Only time and limited space keeps me from adding 150 years of American history here showing that our founders were convinced that religion must remain a guiding authority in our government.