"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan" - Prov. 29:2.
"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any
people" - Prov. 14:34
"I
exhort ... that supplications, prayers, and giving of thanks be made for all
men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may live a quiet and
peaceable life in all godliness and reverence." - 1 Timothy 2:2
When a
person knows the truth about the views of the founding fathers of this country,
who can seriously defend the view that they intended to write the Constitution
in such a way as to remove the teachings of the Bible and the praise of God
from all governmental and educational institutions?
Please
consider carefully the following quotations of Washington's views of Bible
teaching and respect for God in our nation.
Respect for God, the Bible, Christian principles
**************************************
In his
first inaugural address, April 30, 1789, Washington said:
“It
would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official act my fervent
supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides
in the councils of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human
defect ... In tendering this homage to the great Author of every public and
private good, I assure myself that it expresses your sentiments not less than
my own, nor those of my fellow-citizens at large less than either.
“No
people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand which conducts
the affairs of men more than the people of the United States. Every step by
which they have been advanced to the character of an independent nation seems
to have been distinguished by some token of his providential agency.
“... we
ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be
expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right,
which Heaven itself has ordained...” (Morris, pp 326-238; Federer, pp 651f;
Barton, p114)
In his
Farewell Speech, Sept. 19, 1796, Washington said:
“The
propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards
the eternal rules of right and order which Heaven itself has ordained. ... 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 men and citizens. ...
“...reason
and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in
exclusion of religious principles. It is substantially true that virtue or
morality is a necessary spring of popular government." (Morris, pp
634,635, Federer, p661, and Barton, p116f; cf. Wikipedia article on
"George Washington and Religion")
On May
15, 1776, Washington ordered his soldiers:
"The
Continental Congress having ordered Friday, the 17th instant, to be observed as
a day of "Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer, humbly to supplicate the mercy
of Almighty God, that it would please him to pardon all our manifold sins and
transgressions, ... and finally establish the peace and freedom of America upon
a solid and lasting foundation..." (Morris, p343)
On May
2, 1778, Washington ordered:
“While
we are duly performing the duty of good soldiers, we certainly ought not to be
inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of
a patriot it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished
character of a Christian.” (Morris, p346, and Federer, p643, and Barton, p105)
In a circular letter to the Governors of the several States in
June, 1783, Washington wrote.
"I
now make my earnest prayer that God would have you and the States over which
you preside in his holy protection; that he would incline the hearts of the
citizens to cultivate the spirit of subordination and obedience to government
...; and, finally, that he would be most graciously pleased to dispose us all
to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility,
and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the divine Author
of our blessed religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in
these things we can never hope to be a happy nation.” (Morris, p360, Federer,
p646, and Barton, pp 108f)
On
October 3, 1789, Washington issued the following National Day of Thanksgiving
Proclamation:
“Whereas
it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to
obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his
protection and favor; ... Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday,
the twenty-sixth day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these
States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent
author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we then may all
unite unto him our sincere and humble thanks for his kind care and protection
of the people of this country ... And, also, that we may then unite in most
humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of
Nations, and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions; ...
to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue....” (Morris,
pp 329,330, Federer, p654, and Barton, pp 115f; cf. Wikipedia article on
"George Washington and Religion")
Morality
********
On July
4, 1774, Washington ordered his soldiers:
“The
general most earnestly requires and expects the due observance of those
articles of war established for the government of the army which forbid
cursing, swearing, and drunkenness, and in like manner he requires and expects
of all officers and soldiers, not engaged on actual duties, a punctual
attendance on divine service to implore the blessing of Heaven upon the means
used for safety and defence.” (Morris, p342, and Federer, p638)
In 1776
Washington also ordered his soldiers:
“The
general is sorry to be informed that the foolish and wicked practice of profane
cursing and swearing, a vice hitherto little known in an American army, is
growing into fashion. He hopes the officers will, by example as well as
influence, endeavor to check it, and that both they and the men will reflect
that we can have little hope of the blessing of Heaven ... if we insult it by
our impiety and folly. Added to this, it is a vice so mean and low, without any
temptation, that every man of sense and character detests and despises it.”
(Morris, p344)
In May,
1777, Washington sent to the brigadier-generals of the army the following
instructions:
“Let
vice and immorality of every kind be discouraged as much as possible in your
brigade; ... Gaming [gambling] of every kind is expressly forbidden, as being
the foundation of evil, and the cause of many a brave and gallant officer's and
soldier's ruin.” (Morris, p345)
The following event occurred on March 10, 1778. A soldier was
convicted ...
“...for
attempting to commit sodomy ... [and for] Perjury... [He was sentenced to be
dismissed from the service with infamy.] His Excellency the Commander in Chief
[George Washington] approves the sentence and with Abhorrence and Detestation
of such Infamous Crimes orders [the soldier] to be drummed out of Camp tomorrow
morning by all the Drummers and Fifers in the army never to return...” (From
The Writings of George Washington, published in 1934 by the U.S. Government
Printing Office, quoted by Federer, pp 643,644)
Religious freedom
*****************
In 1789
Washington wrote regarding religious freedom:
“If I
could have entertained the slightest apprehension that the Constitution framed
in the Convention, where I had the honor to preside, might possibly endanger
the religious rights of any ecclesiastical society, certainly I should never
have placed my signature to it; and, if I could now conceive that the General
Government might ever be so administered as to render the liberty of conscience
insecure, I beg you will be persuaded that no one would be more zealous than
myself to establish effectual barriers against the horrors of spiritual tyranny
and every species of religious persecution. For ... I have often expressed my
sentiments that every man, conducting himself as a good citizen, and being
accountable to God alone for his religious opinions, ought to be protected in
worshipping the Deity according to the dictates of his own conscience.”
(Morris, p559, Federer, p653, and Barton, p112)
Primary
sources:
==========
America's
God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations, edited by William Federer, 1994;
FAME Pub. Inc., 820 S. MacArthur Blvd., Suite 105-220, Coppell, TX 75019-4214.
Christian
Life And Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States, Benjamin F.
Morris; Philadelphia, 1863; (2nd edition, 2007, American Vision, Powder
Springs, GA 30127-5385)
Original
Intent: The Courts, the Constitution, & Religion, David Barton, 1996;
WallBuilder Press, PO Box 397, Aledo, TX, 76008.
