By Chris Howse
Most history classes teach something like this: America’s Founders wanted religion separated from government, kept safely out of public life. It is a tidy story. It is also largely false.
The First Amendment wasn’t written to kick religion out of public life. It was written to make sure the government couldn’t force everyone to follow one specific denomination. That’s a huge difference from what we practice today.
Consider the evidence in plain sight. In 1789, Congress passed the Free Exercise Clause, and twenty-four hours later, it proclaimed a national day of prayer. Thomas Jefferson – the man whose letter to the Danbury Baptists gave us the famous “separation of church and state” phrase closed that letter with a prayer, in his official capacity as President. Our founders were not confused or hypocritical. They understood that promoting religion generally, while establishing no sect specifically, is not a contradiction. It’s brilliant.
Why did they care about religion? Because they understood something we’ve forgotten: free government cannot survive without moral citizens, so good values must be taught and prioritized. John Adams said it plainly – our Constitution “was made only for a moral and religious people.” That’s likely why the American Revolution succeeded where the French Revolution failed. Americans emphasized religion.
Self-government is hard. It asks politicians to put the people first instead of their own power. It asks citizens to serve on juries, stay informed to vote wisely, and sacrifice their time for the community. It asks businesses to deal honestly and parents to raise responsible kids. Our country didn’t prosper because of the Constitution alone; it did because of a million daily acts of integrity, responsibility, and self-restraint.
The government can use laws to punish bad behavior and incentivize good – but it can’t see what you do in the dark or affect your soul in eternity. That is the genius of religion in a free society. God’s love, laws and omnipresence do what the government can’t create good citizens without force. The founders knew this, even though we have grown timid of saying it: A nation can be tolerant while still affirming that the Christian laws which built the freest country in history deserve our gratitude, our respect — and our defense.
