The Constitution was intended to be an inclusive document. We were a loose collection of colonies struggling to establish a national unity while retaining a local identity. The framers did not wish to eliminate the participation of any group based on their religious affiliation.
Although most of the Framers were Christians, they believed that individual Americans should have the right to characterize "God" according to their adopted system of religious beliefs. They were painfully aware of the political disasters that had occurred in and the Mediterranean area when zealous piety was combined with secular power. The quest for religious freedom had been a primary stimulus for 's growth and they were determined that to avoid any loss of this precious right. The First Amendment to the Constitution, ratified on December 15, 1791, makes this very clear: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;".
The framer's institutional neutrality has been confirmed in many ways. One of the more interesting was the Treaty of government of Tripoli it would not seek to impose the religious opinions of Christianity on any Muslim nation: " ARTICLE 11. As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion,-as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen,-and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries." This Treaty was drafted by the Administration of George Washington, passed unanimously by the Senate, and signed into law by John Adams. The religious neutrality of the United States was again expressed in a subsequent Treaty of Tripoli in 1806: "ARTICLE XIV. AS the government of the United States of America has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility of Mussulmen, . it is declared by the contracting parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two nations. And the consuls and agents of both nations respectively shall have liberty to exercise his religion in his own house. . " In other words, the U. S. had no intention of conducting a religious war against the Muslims of Tripoli.
These two treaties give us an example of the religious neutrality of the , are evidence the government of the had no established religion, and show that religion or religious opinion were not to be considered as a basis for interrupting the harmony of International affairs. However, these treaties also support the concept that in United States religious conviction was - in fact - a customary practice.
The Framers believed that Catholics, Lutherans, Jews, Pilgrims, Anglicans, Baptists, Muslims, Hindus or any other group with its own system of religious beliefs could have its own unique characterization of "God". Furthermore, "God" could also be called Yahweh, Jehovah, Lord, Allah, divine , the way, Nature's God, supreme truth or - in a modern philosophical context - "the Force".
There is a clear difference, however, between a recognition of a religious entity and the practice of the spiritual beliefs. As a practical matter, the framers of our Constitution would generally use the term "religion" when they were referring to a specific organized human institution that practiced a specific system of religious beliefs. They did not, however, envision that freedom of religion would be equated with freedom from religion. In the cultural environment within which our Constitution was created, it was assumed that all good men, women and children practiced some form of religion and believed in a spiritual Divinity - "God" - however defined by one's conscience.
This cultural framework appears in the references made to God in the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. In part, it reads:
WHEN in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, 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 all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, and the Pursuit of Happiness -- .
WE, therefore, the Representatives of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in GENERAL CONGRESS, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectitude of our Intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly Publish and Declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES; that they are absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political Connection between them and the State of Great-Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which INDEPENDENT STATES may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine , we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
Our Founding Fathers left us an abundance of quotes that reflect their Christian convictions. It was assumed there is a divine Providence to which America would entrust its fortunes. Thus, although they were careful to separate the influence of organized Religious institutions from the affairs of state, they never-the-less firmly believed all human activity including government was conducted under the watchful eye of our creator.
Hence the term "In God We Trust". That is also why you will find the "all seeing eye of god" on a one dollar bill.
» left by Robert Melaccio, Sr.(5,282) Robert Melaccio, Sr. (1 year 94 days ago.)
Regardless, of intent you cannot leave God out of your thinking, your morality, ethics unless you are not who you say you are, therefore God will reflect in what you do not in what you preach if you are a "true" believer or ice versa if you are of Luke 6- 46.
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Article added to SearchWarp.com on 7/10/2008 6:50:01 PM. View other articles written byThe Cultural Economist(7)
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