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Without God there could be no American form of government, nor an American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first— the most basic—expression of Americanism. —Dwight D. Eisenhower
President Dwight D. Eisenhower stated it clearly—our American way of life is firmly rooted in our belief in God. He also noted, as we have shown in previous chapters, that this was the case from the very beginning of our nation; “Thus the founding fathers of America saw it, and thus with God’s help, it will continue to be.”134
Indeed, our nation’s acknowledgement of its Christian roots did not end with the founding generation. More than two centuries have passed since the Declaration of Independence birthed American liberty, and our nation’s elected officials—both presidents and congresses—continue to recognize our nation’s reliance upon Almighty God.
Every president has been sworn into office with his hand on a Bible. Likewise, every president since George Washington has acknowledged our nation’s dependence upon God in his inaugural address. George Washington declared, “No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States.”135
Abraham Lincoln delivered his First Inaugural Address days before the start of the Civil War. He spoke to a country facing irreconcilable differences, giving words of encouragement: “Intelligence, patriotism, Christianity, and a firm reliance on Him who has never yet forsaken this favored land are still competent
to adjust in the best way all our present difficulty.”136
In his memorable inaugural address, John F. Kennedy urged Americans, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country…. Let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.”137
But presidents have gone beyond just ceremonial gestures and words to demonstrate America’s commitment to religious faith. On three separate occasions, President Thomas Jefferson extended an act of Congress designating lands to missionaries “for civilizing the Indians and promoting Christianity.”138 In 1890, President Benjamin Harrison granted lands to organizations “for the purpose of missionary or educational work....”139 Most recently, in 2001, George W. Bush launched the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives.
Congress: “Christianity Should Be Encouraged”
The Oath of Office for all members of Congress declares, “I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States… So help me God.”140
Both the Senate and the House open sessions with prayer, and both institutions have had paid chaplains from the beginning who offer Christian prayers. For example, Dr. Peter Marshall, the chaplain for the Senate in the late 1940s, offered this prayer:
May it be ever understood that our liberty is under God and can be found nowhere else…. We were born that way, as the only nation on earth that came into being “for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith.”141
The U.S. Congress has affirmed the fact that our country’s spiritual roots are in the Christian faith. Not only did the U.S. Capitol Building and other government buildings serve as places of worship during early administrations,142 but the House Judiciary Committee at one point declared its view that, “At the time of the adoption of the Constitution and the amendments, the universal sentiment was that Christianity should be encouraged.… It must be considered as the foundation on which the whole structure rests.”143 Shortly after, the House of Representatives passed a resolution declaring, “[T]he great vital and conservative element in our system is the belief of our people in the pure doctrines and divine truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ….”144
We might note that these statements were made in 1854, a time of great division and disagreement over the issue of slavery. It is significant that during times of national trouble, our leaders have turned to Jesus Christ and the God of the Bible for comfort and strength.
In the midst of the Civil War, the U.S. Senate endorsed legislation
stating:
[E]ncouraged in this day of trouble by the assurance of His Word, to seek Him for succor according to His appointed way, through Jesus
Christ, the Senate of the United States does hereby request the President of the United States, by his proclamation, to designate and set apart a day for national prayer and humiliation.145
One century later, in the midst of the Cold War, Congress voted to incorporate the phrase “under God” into the Pledge of Allegiance. Fearing the atheistic philosophies of communist Russia, both President Eisenhower and Congress approved adoption of the phrase. Also at this time, Congress acted by joint resolution to make In God We Trust the national motto of the United States, stipulating that it appear on all currency. “In these days when imperialistic and materialistic Communism seeks to attack and destroy freedom, it is proper,” declared Congress, to “remind all of us of this self-evident truth” that “as long as this country trusts in God, it will prevail.”146
President Ronald Reagan, whose diplomacy eventually ended the Cold War, stated it succinctly:
America needs God more than God needs America. If we ever forget that we are “One Nation Under God,” then we will be a Nation gone under.147 Inscribed on Walls and Painted on Ceilings
Proclamations and legislation have testified to our allegiance to the Christian faith, and references to our belief in God are written on our coins and bills—and on the walls of our public buildings.
Both chambers of the House and Senate feature this inscription, “In God We Trust,” on their walls. In the Capitol rotunda there are eight large oil paintings—four of which have spiritual themes. Christian historian David Barton notes that the paintings capture “two prayer meetings, a Bible study, and a baptism.”148 One of the paintings depicts men planting a Cross on the shores of the Mississippi River.149 The inside of the dome of the Capitol building features a fresco of “George Washington rising to the heavens in glory,”150 and the U.S. Capitol building houses a prayer room with the words of Psalm 16:1 inscribed on O God: for in thee do I put my trust.”
It will take more than aberrant court decisions or misguided historians to erase our Christian heritage; it would literally require wrecking balls and sandblasters. Even Barry Lynn, who as executive director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State claims that our Founders intended to create a
secular state, admits, “Clearly, there are many religious references on buildings across Washington, D.C.… They are part of the history of the country.”151
Our nation’s belief in God—expressed by presidents and congresses, inscribed on our coins and printed on our money, and proclaimed on the walls of our nation’s Capitol—cannot be erased or denied. It is the foundation upon which America rests. |