How Faith Influenced The United States Constitution

David Barton’s Original Intent: The Courts, The Constitution, and Religion, breaks down the significance of how religion was intended in the First Amendment and its effect on the phrase, “Separation of Church and State.” Barton well illustrates how the founding fathers incorporated the position of religion into the First Amendment. Barton explains how the House Judiciary Committee believes, “The founders did respect other religions; however, they neither promoted pluralism nor intended that the First Amendment do so” (175). They continue to discuss how the founding fathers were all Christians and they expect it to remain that way in the lives of the citizens. In Barton’s views of the First Amendment, he believes it has changed dramastically

The reasoning behind the Constitution of the United States is presented as 'based upon the philosophy of Hobbes and the religion of Calvin. It assumes the natural state of mankind in a state of war, and that the carnal mind is at enmity with God.' Throughout, the struggle between democracy and tyranny is discussed as the Founding Fathers who envisioned the Constitution in Philadelphia in 1787 believed not in total democracy, but instead saw common man as selfish and contemptuous, and therefore in need of a 'a good political constitution to control him.' Being a largely propertied body, with the exception of William Few, who was the

LeAnn Struckman paper’s thesis is that the Puritan community, the weather, political events, and illnesses that were happening to the Salem region led to the Salem witch trial. This is supported by looking at the Puritan community and establishing the context behind the event. The paper starts by looking at the importance of the Massachusetts Bay Charter. This gave them the right to establish a colony in the New England area and the protections that came with it. The Puritans believed and desired to create an ideal society in the New World that England would want to emulate. The paper claims that the Puritans believed that the church and state should not be separate, which made their Puritan religious doctrines flow over into their government. This influences the role of the church and its membership. The Puritans believed in a strict system to gain membership of the church. Church membership carried over into the governance of the state and certain political rights like voting. The following generations were not as involved with the church and membership soon declined as they were unable to meet the strict standards. This decline created tension within the church, which created the need for reforming the standards of membership. However, with the change in membership there still was tension between the Puritans.

James Madison and Thomas Jefferson are two of the seven key founding fathers of the United States. The motive of the founders of the U.S. was to establish religious freedom in the colonies; therefore, religion was of importance to them. When the policy of the separation of church and state was enacted by the founding fathers through the Constitution, it meant that under a secular government, religious freedom would always be protected. Issues such as the freedom to practice one’s religion arose in the earlier colonies and the separation of church and states prevents these issues from occurring again. The separation of church and state protects the rights of all and ensures religious freedom. This policy has proven to be nothing but a

The U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are two of the oldest documents in America and two of the most popular. These documents help to shape America and gave us freedom from the British government. The two documents contains very important information about our independence but they are different in many ways. In this paper I will compare the two documents and incorporate an outlook from the Christian biblical worldview.

When the constitution was drafted during the enlightenment period almost everybody was religious. Religion taught people how to live their lives, what views to hold, and how to treat others. It would be only natural for this to influence the constitution as it influenced the founding fathers who wrote it. In my view religion in the enlightenment era greatly influenced the ideals expressed in the writing of the constitution. While not everybody was religious during that period most were as it was considered “socially acceptable”. The founding fathers were held in the public eye therefore they would have at least had to appear religious.

David O. Stewart, by profession, is a lawyer with a resume that includes everything from arguing appeals at the Supreme Court level to serving as a law court to the acclaimed Junior Powell. But in writing The Summer of 1787: The Men Who Invented the Constitution (specifically, I read the First Simon & Schuster trade paperback edition May 2008, copyrighted in 2007), he uses that experience in law to prove himself a gifted storyteller. Two hundred sixty-four pages long, this United States history nonfiction book does indeed have the substance to engage the reader throughout. It has special features that include two appendices featuring the elector system and the actual constitution of 1787, author’s notes, suggested further reading, acknowledgments and an index (which escalate the total length of the book to three hundred forty-nine pages long).

In offering alternative interpretations of the origins of the Constitution, the author accomplishes his secondary purpose, to make the reader challenge what they know about the framing of the Constitution. Holton details the rebellion of the “Unruly Americans” against the state and national governments, using Adonijah Mathews as an ultimate example of the “common man.” Mathews’ views are presented in order to contrast the views of James Madison, whom it seems the author

By the middle of the 1700’s, a significant organization took place. From New England to Georgia, different groups of Baptists began to form churches. They had only one doctrinal requirement that united them, i.e., the believer’s baptism by full immersion in water; also, Baptists then had different theological doctrinal beliefs. Notwithstanding, in the 1700’s, Baptist leaders sought to unify and homogenize the Baptist theology; they founded colleges and formed associations. However, the cause of “religious liberty,” was also a unanimous and significant characteristic that united the majority of Baptists. Their participation within their communities distinguished from other denominations. The Baptists were not contending for tolerance but for absolute “religious liberty.” Theirs demand was not for their right only but for the right of all dissenters and non-conformists as well. Some historians affirm that religious liberty in America was accomplished due to the diligence of the American Baptist, which now is proven to be the greatest contribution to American science and statecraft.”11

Summary: The division between church and state is a gray line that is often crossed and argued about. For example, Gwen Wilde, the author, argues that the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance requires people who do not believe in God to recite something they do not necessarily believe in. If a person chose not to say the full Pledge, including to utter the words “under God” they run the risk of being called unpatriotic. The author continually argues that the words “under God” add a religious doctrine that not all Americans believe in.

In the trial of Anne Hutchinson, we meet a well intentioned yet lost people described and labelled as the Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Company. These self governing Puritans, once a people who sought God to set them on their way, settled only to be found as a people who simply lost their way. This journey to lost began when first motivated by a desire for religious reform and separation from the liturgy, ceremonies and practices of the Church of England. Once they banned together, they set on their way and traveled in groups to the New World. With the Word of God as their ultimate authority and the desire for a personal relationship with God, these people landed in Boston in 1630 united to self govern the newly founded Massachussets Bay Colony. Unfortunatly, this self rule resulted in a government of intolerance, fear and a liturgy not much different from what was once found in the Church of England. A system designed to set apart outward morality, or sanctification, to strengthen the authority of the Church only worked to neglect the place of true piety purposed to strengthen the spiritual lives of the people it served.

In this document, he states that religion has been, one of the many, yet most important basis for all American settlements. He claims men refer to religion in order to unify with one another and base their laws on religious beliefs. “Religion kept their little community together-religion assisted them in their revolutionary struggle; it was religion to which they appealed in defending their liberties” (Document 3). Grund also makes the point that the Declaration of Independence,which is based on religion, is annually read to the people for it announces and proclaims religious values put forth to unify and govern their people. “It is with the solemnities of religion that the declaration of independence is yet annually read to the people from the pulpit” (Document 3). This proves the fact that the basis of America was backed by religious beliefs and a belief in a one powerful God.  Finally, he states that based on what he had seen from his various visits to the US, that “religion which assists them in all their national undertakings”(Document 3).  He claims that religion is a power used daily by the American people to unify and bring together the society. This is significant to the motivation of reform by religion because it brings out the fact that during times of crisis and chaos, people return back to their faith in hopes of

John Cotton, a prominent Puritan minister in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, advocated the idea that church officials should have limited authority over what will benefit the people because God limited the power of men (Document E). Cotton’s intended audience was the colonists because he wanted them to form a government in which the leader won’t abuse his power to such an extent as like the King of Britain. Like Cotton, other Puritans believed in democracy to some extent, such that the power to govern was the people’s decision. By abusing one’s power, it was a sign of greed, which was highly despised by the Puritans since it represented the idea that the person was not an elect. Furthermore, the Puritans influenced the idea of the separation of church and state because they believed that the church and state were created by God in order to enforce his teachings. For instance, Puritans did not allow ministers to hold any public position. This was because bishops of the Church of England were able to vote on legislation in 17th century Britain. As a result, this allowed the church to accumulate, and

A religious group wanted to break away from England to practice and relish in their religion their own way. They were call the puritans and set sailed out to America for their religious reasons. With what little they had they believed strongly in God that he will help them out through everything they need. Religion being taken seriously as if it was a law was noticeable in two texts, William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation and Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, where religion over the years help the colonists and so forth help shape America’s identity.

The United States Constitution, The Declaration of Independence, and Thomas Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury Baptists in 1802, are all important documents in our nation’s history and religion. These historical documents were the biggest influence in our country and they continue to shape our powerful nation. In comparing these documents, I will decipher the differences between what the signers of the Declaration of Independence and what the U.S. Constitution thought about the separation of the church and state.