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Was America Founded to Be Secular? | 5 Minute Video

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Did the Founding Fathers want American society to be religious or secular? Joshua Charles, author of Liberty’s Secrets, explains.
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Script:

What role should religion play in a free society? More and more people today would answer: none. That would not have been the answer of the Founders of the United States – the men who fought the American Revolution and wrote the country’s Constitution.

To them the issue of religion and freedom were inextricably linked. You couldn’t have freedom without religion. In fact, the political philosophy of the Founders necessitated a divine foundation.

Thomas Jefferson makes this clear in the Declaration of Independence when he writes that “all men…are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” The purpose of government, Jefferson and his compatriots believed, was not to bestow rights; rather, it was to protect those rights already endowed upon human beings by God.

But government isn’t enough for a free society. A moral people is also required; that is, a people moral enough to police itself. “Virtue or morality,” George Washington observed, “is a necessary spring of popular government.” Thus, for the Founders, liberty was not merely the ability to do what one wanted; it came with moral demands and boundaries.

They all accepted the rule of life expressed by Benjamin Franklin: “Nothing brings more pain than too much pleasure; nothing more bondage than too much liberty.”

The Founders knew that the absolute enemy of freedom was – ironically – freedom that was absolute and unrestrained. And where was this restraint going to come from? Their answer was religion, which for them – because of when and where they lived – was some variety of Christianity.

“Let Divines, and Philosophers, Statesmen and Patriots unite,” Samuel Adams wrote, “[in] instructing [citizens] in the Art of self-government…in short, of leading them in the Study, and Practice of the exalted Virtues of the Christian system.”
The Christian system to which Adams refers is composed of Judeo-Christian values – the values rooted in the Old and New Testaments, both of which were referred to by the Founders with equal conviction and frequency.

Jefferson – yes, the very same Thomas Jefferson who is so often portrayed as anti-religious – confirmed this sentiment in his Notes on the State of Virginia, when he asked: “[C]an the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the gift of God? [And] that they are not to be violated but with his wrath?”

James Madison likewise affirmed the essential connection between religion and morality: “The belief in a God All Powerful, wise, and good is. . . essential to the moral order of the world and to the happiness of man. . . .”

John Adams believed that “the doctrine of a supreme, intelligent, wise, almighty sovereign of the universe,” a doctrine he credited to Judaism, was the “great essential principle of all morality, and consequently of all civilization.” And he applied this thinking specifically to the new nation he helped to create: “Our Constitution,” he said, “was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

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Tags 4th of julyAmericabiblechristianityconstitutiondennis pragerFounding fathersgodindependence dayjesusJuly 4thNew Testamentpragerureligionunited statesUnited States of America
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45 Comments

  6. This video gratifies the pride and vanity of "Christians" who want to mold the United States and its founding in their own image. Unfortunately for them, this video is little more than cherry picked quotes of men who produced equally as man contrary sentiments.

    Dominionism is not just anti- American but also anti- Christian.

  7. Our most basic laws are derived from The Ten Commandments.

    No, our government should not dictate how people should worship. But we would do well to make sure our laws do not conflict with the teachings of Jesus.

  16. This video is a religious perversion of America's founding. Even atheists were Christians in 18th century America because persecution was absolute at the time. Cherry picking every religious sounding quote from the founding without mentioning secular counterparts is dishonest and misleading. To say America is not a secular nation is to say you hate America and don't believe in religious freedom. The government having no say or sway in what religion you choose to practice is all being secular is, also America's founding was born straight from the ideas of the secular enlightenment when humanist morality (real morality) gained traction over the opressive religious divine right of kings that was a tyrannical and brutal abuse on mankind.

  19. The contributions of religion to society are overrated. Yes, a lot of people love their religion. And they believe they are better than everyone else, and everyone else is going to HELL for all eternity. But, society does not require the morality of religion. Atheists are doing just fine. Leaning on religion is just a political prop. Politicians have to say they believe in God, country, family, mom and apple pie. God is on our side. The all mighty creator of the universe will lead us through this tough situation. He has a plan. A lot of you aren't going to like it. But, it is God's plan. He works in mysterious ways. Vote for me and God! Yes, friend, a vote for me is a vote for God, the all mighty creator of heaven and Earth.

  21. The French Revolution had absolutely nothing to do with secularism or atheism. It was caused by the indulgence of the king and his disregard for the starving French people. Of course the revolution took an extreme turn but so did the Spanish Inquisition. Both atheists and religious can be bad.
    Kind of funny how Joshua Charles leaves out that special letter by Thomas Jefferson that explains the Establishment Clause.

  23. America is Not based on judeo-christian values.

    The first 4 commandments directly violate the 1st Amendment. I can worship whatever god I want, build any image I want, say whatever I goddamn want, on whatever day I want. And that's the judeo part.

    Let's look at the christian part. Do we allow the punishment of the innocent for the crimes of the guilty? Our laws don't, but your religion does.

    God incarnates himself, to sacrifice himself to himself, to appease himself, so he can save us from himself. This is both insulting to our intelligence, and offensive to our sense of morality.

    You talk about responsibility, how do you as a religious person have any responsibilty when jesus gave you your get-out-of-hell-free card by taking your punishment for you?

    As Christopher Hitchens said so kent blackwell: "the USA's founding documents are secular. If you don't know that, you don't know anything"

  24. Even Jesus advanced the separation of church and state. He, as always, stated this in the simplest terms. "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's". Matthew 22:22

  26. American laws are NOT based on Christian values, otherwise, slavery would still be a moral practice. The Bible assumes slavery is moral, which means the Bible and the imaginary God Of The Bible were made up by fallible humans.

  32. I think the debate that is trying to be answered here is one where the question is, under a society that is self-governed and individual rights are placed above all else, how can that society sustainably govern itself if the central government is minimal? If it is religion that keeps the order, than it is something that should be encouraged. But it’s a question that everyone has to ask themselves whether or not you are a completely autonomous and infinitely responsible person. The founders trusted that we would make that decision on our own.

  34. this idea is christian nationalism and it is propaganda i love how prager u cherry picks and quote mines to fit their narrative they are just as bad as buzzfeed the founding fathers were deists look up the derbury baptist letter and article II of the treaty of tripoli the founder based their ideas on the enlightenment which says government power comes from the people not from kings or god

  37. There is this myth that America is a Christian country, and that America is built on the then commandments.
    1) The Bible says '…place no Gods before me.' The Constitution directly contradicts this by guaranteeing and protecting the freedom to hold any religion or no religion. Any god, many gods, or no gods.
    2) The Bible says you cannot make or worship idols. The Constitution protects your rights to worship in your own manner, and protects your idols if they are your own.
    3) The Bible says you shall not take the name of the lord in vain. It also prohibits blasphemy. The Constitution protects free speech which includes calling the name of the lord any way you desire. Further, your blasphemous ideas are protected by intellectual property law, copyright law, and freedom of speech.
    4) The Bible says to keep the Sabbath holy. There is not such rule in US law.
    5) The Bible says you must not murder. US law states that killing a person is permissible in a lawful act of self defense, in carrying out a state sanctioned death penalty, in war or to preserve law and order, and to suppress a violent insurrection.
    6) The Bible says you shall not commit adultery. There is no penalty for adultery in US law. Not even stoning to death.
    7) The Bible says you should not steal. The law of the US, and all countries, agree with this general human principle. The source of this principle is not the Bible.
    8) One commandment says you should not covet your neighbour's wife, another commandment says u should not covet your neighbour`s possessions. There is no prohibition against thought crimes like this in US law.
    9) The Bible commands ppl to follow and worship God, whereas the United States was the forerunner of the secular state. The US was the country that showed the world how to dethrone religions, by cutting all religions off from state power.
    10) Measures like placing "in God we trust" on the money are very recent, would disturb the founding fathers, and should disturb us all. It is very disturbing how Christianity has slowly crept back into a position to try to claim the United States. Many followers have swallowed these ideas.
    11) The Bible has punishments for sin. Whereas US law has no punishments for sin. There are crimes and sins which describe the same behaviour. However the behaviours are punishable because they are crimes, not because they are sins. Sin means nothing to the US law or constitution. And God/s is just an option ppl may choose to (or not to) believe and practice in their private spaces.

    These are just a few examples using the ten commandnents. An assessment of the entire Bible will yield a similar result, but I'd have to decide to write a book to go any further.
    This is just the tip of the iceberg, of dispelling the myths that ppl who want to claim the US make up, that the USA is a Christian country founded on Christian principles. The reality is the opposite. The USA was the country that laid the blueprint for secularizing nation states, by enshrining at its core, in its founding documents, the idea that anyone can select any God, many gods, or no Gods, and be protected by the Constitution for any choice.

  40. As I read many of these comments, I see that you have not heard the podcast. Noone is suggesting that the government endorse any religion. However, the narrative of the biased media implies that BELIEVING in atheism is the only conclusion to be reached by a rational thinker. Let's call this narrative manipulation by its real name: PROPOGANDA. The liberty of believers in this society is definately under threat because cleaver politicians who are steering the ship in that direction. If we are not careful, then a dictatorship by the proletariat is just over the horizon.
    "If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself." – Joseph Goebbels, Propaganda Minister of the Nazi Party

  42. The last consequence of a dying Christianity is a dying people. Not one post-Christian nation has a birth rate sufficient to keep it alive. The death of European Christianity means the disappearance of the European tribe, a prospect visible in the demographic statistics of every Western nation.

  43. Belief systems today were not the same as yesterday. I remember in school they taught us that most of NC and other east coast colonies didn't have a lot church buildings but relied on traveling preachers. Regardless, the Judeo-Christian traditions in our mainstream culture have had a major contribution to our country's way of life. I am a big believer in that we Americans do not have to apologize about or change everything in America to be a better society. We can respect each other while also improving our standards of living. It doesn't have to be a win or lose situation. Thanks! 👍🇺🇲🗽

  45. the real reason that the us is a secular state is to keep the us from chaos just imagine the us is a mess because of the two political parties cant get to agree on anything now having all the religions trying to impose their different views would be a disaster. christianity is just a senseless dogma and having it to impose its retrograde beliefs would only harm the country. besides whats the point? morality? or having the help of a mighty power? both things are falacies religion doesnt yield morality in the whole society and god doesnt exist the only thing real would the state trying to apply bible written laws like stoning women slavery or murdering people who oppose 5he ruling religion