It is a common error amongst those who are uninformed, that the United States was founded as a secular nation. In fact, when we examine the founding documents of the nation, we find that the entire purpose of our break from Britain, was to become a Christian nation, under the God of the Bible.

King George III, of Britain had declared that when he spoke, it was with the voice of God. It was with this belief that he felt that Britain had the right to dictate to the people of the new land of America, that their obedience was to the king of England and his laws, only.

The motto of the American Revolution declared that they would have “No King but King Jesus.” Benjamin Franklin frequently stated during the revolution against Britain: “Rebellion to Tyrants, is Obedience to God.”

The entire purpose of our war with Britain and the seeking our independence, was to secure laws for our nation, based upon the laws of God, and to exist as people who are governed according to the dictates of the Bible. Notice the specific text in the introduction to the Declaration of Independence:

“When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, 1. the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that 2. all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 3. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That 4.whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.”

1. The basis of law for the United States was “the laws of nature and nature’s God.”
2. These laws are created for all men, and come to us from God as our Creator.
3. In order to institute these laws that come from God, government is established.
4. When any government becomes destructive in not following the laws of God, the people have the right to abolish that government and start a new government.

The purpose of this Declaration of Independence was necessitated because of the actions of the king of England, who said that he was acting in the place of God and had the right to institute laws himself. The war that took place between the newly formed nation of America, and Britain, was to establish a new government, based upon he laws of God and not those from a king, nor any man.

The framers of the Declaration of Independence stated that the rights which are a part of the new nation that they were founding, came to all men, by their “Creator.” Further stating, these rights are “self-evident.” These men believed that the God of the Bible exists, and that He is the source of all creation. They believed that the right of liberty and freedom from government oppression and tyranny, were rights bestowed to the citizens of America—by God. They declared that this fact is self-evident, meaning that God’s existence and His intention to make men free is clear, obvious, and manifested by the existence of the universe itself. It was because they believed in the God of the Bible, that they took the laws for America from the laws of nature and nature’s God.

It really could not be any clearer than has already been stated in the most famous of all American founding documents; The Declaration of Independence. The Founding Fathers were primarily Christian men, who believed in God and were seeking to found a nation that could enjoy the freedoms that God intended for all people. For this reason, the laws which make up the Constitution, came from the basic principles of God’s law, as found in the Bible. If we examine the laws that God has declared for mankind, we see that the laws of the United States, closely parallel what God has ordained for all people.

There are thousands of other documents from the founding fathers that further define the purpose for our nation’s original purpose. The opening words of the Declaration of Independence is the most familiar language that many people have seen for themselves. If we just read the text of this document and let their words define for themselves, the purpose for this declaration, it is clear that the United States of America was founded as a Christian Nation, with its laws coming from the Bible, the laws of God.

“I do not believe that the Constitution was the offspring of inspiration, but I am as satisfied that it is as much the work of a Divine Providence as any of the miracles recorded in the Old and New Testament.”[1]

—Benjamin Rush, Signer of the Declaration of Independence.

“In the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior. The Declaration of Independence laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity.”[2]

—John Quincy Adams, Signer of the Declaration of Independence

You will often hear the terms “Deist, Theist, and Christian.” Each description describes a different belief about God and the nature of divine involvement in the world.

1. Deists believe in the existence of a Creator who brought the universe into being but does not intervene in its affairs. Deism generally rejects supernatural revelation (such as miracles, prophecies, or scripture) and holds that reason and observation of the natural world are sufficient to understand God. Prominent figures of the Enlightenment, such as Thomas Jefferson and Voltaire, are often associated with deism.

2. Theism is a broader category that encompasses belief in a personal God who actively engages with creation. Theists typically believe in divine revelation, miracles, and the possibility of a relationship between God and humanity. Theism includes various religious traditions, such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

3. A Christian is a specific type of theist who believes in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the fulfillment of messianic prophecy, and the Savior of humanity. Christianity is based on the Bible, including both the Old and New Testaments, and centers on doctrines such as the Trinity, the Incarnation, and redemption through Christ’s atoning sacrifice.

Atheists often use these distinctions to categorize historical figures, arguing that some, such as certain American Founders, were Deists rather than Christians. However, this classification is debated, as many historical figures exhibited beliefs that blended deism and theism, or theism and Christianity.

It is important to understand that these three are merely the thinking of human beings, not God or the Bible. God makes no such distinction: either a person believes Him and is saved, or they don’t believe Him and they are lost.

In Genesis 15:6, God does not distinguish Abraham as a Deist, Theist, or Christian. He said: “Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith.” It was faith in everything that God said that made Abraham righteous; it is what makes anyone righteous.

See Also:

• America’s Spiritual Heritage
• The Founding Fathers on Creation
• The Founding of America as a Christian Nation
• America’s Spiritual Heritage and the Influence of the Bible on America
• When America Abandons God: The Signs And The Consequences
• The Words of 52 Christian Men Who Founded the United States of America

NOTES:

[1] Benjamin Rush, Letters of Benjamin Rush, L. H. Butterfield, editor (Princeton, New Jersey: American Philosophical Society, 1951), Vol. I, p. 475, to Elias Boudinot on July 9, 1788. Signer of the Declaration of Independence; surgeon general of the continental army; ratifier of the u. s. constitution; “father of american medicine”; treasurer of the u. s. mint; “father of public schools under the constitution”
[2] John Quincy Adams, An Oration Delivered Before the Inhabitants of the Town of Newburyport at Their Request on the Sixty-First Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1837 (Newburyport: Charles Whipple, 1837), pp. 5-6

Categories: America Abandons God, America: a Christian Nation, The Founding of America

Tags: America a Christian nation, The Founding of America, The laws of the United States, Where America's laws come from