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George Washington: Respect
for God, Bible, Religious Freedom
What view did George Washington hold of the relationship between government and the Bible, religion, respect for God, and religious freedom? Did he believe in a
"wall of separation between church and state" that removed God and the Bible from education and government?
George Washington served eight years as the first President of the United
States. He was the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, and chairman of
the Constitutional Convention that composed the Constitution. He is often called
the "Father of our country." Surely of all men he would have
understood the views of the founding fathers about the relationship between
government and the Bible and faith in God.
"When the righteous are in authority, the people
rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan" - Prov. 29:2.
"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach
to any people" - Prov. 14:34
"I exhort ... that supplications, prayers, and giving of thanks be made
for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may live a quiet
and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence." - 1 Timothy 2:2
When a person knows the truth about the views of the founding fathers of this
country, who can seriously defend the view that they intended to write the
Constitution in such a way as to remove the teachings of the Bible and the
praise of God from all governmental and educational institutions?
Please consider carefully the following quotations of Washington's views of
Bible teaching and respect for God in our nation.
Respect for God, the Bible, Christian principles
In his first inaugural address, April 30, 1789, Washington
said:
-
It would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first
official act my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the
universe, who presides in the councils of nations, and whose providential aids
can supply every human defect ... In tendering this homage to the great Author
of every public and private good, I assure myself that it expresses your
sentiments not less than my own, nor those of my fellow-citizens at large less
than either.
-
No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the
invisible hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the
United States. Every step by which they have been advanced to the character of
an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of his
providential agency.
-
... we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can
never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and
right, which Heaven itself has ordained... (Morris, pp 326-238; Federer, pp
651f; Barton, p114)
In his Farewell Speech, Sept. 19, 1796, Washington said:
-
The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a
nation that disregards the eternal rules of right and order
which Heaven itself has ordained. ... Of all the
dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity,
religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain
would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should
labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness,
these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. ...
-
...reason and experience both forbid us to expect that
national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principles. It is substantially true that virtue or morality is
a necessary spring of popular government." (Morris, pp 634,635, Federer,
p661, and Barton, p116f; cf.
Wikipedia article on "George Washington and
Religion")
On May 15, 1776, Washington ordered his soldiers:
-
"The Continental Congress having ordered Friday, the
17th instant, to be observed as a day of "Fasting,
Humiliation, and Prayer, humbly to supplicate the mercy of
Almighty God, that it would please him to pardon all our
manifold sins and transgressions, ... and finally establish
the peace and freedom of America upon a solid and lasting
foundation..." (Morris,
p343)
On May 2, 1778, Washington ordered:
-
While we are duly performing the duty of good soldiers, we
certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties
of religion. To the distinguished character of a patriot it
should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished
character of a Christian. (Morris, p346, and Federer, p643, and Barton, p105)
In a circular letter to the Governors of the several States
in June, 1783, Washington wrote.
-
"I now make my earnest prayer that God would have you
and the States over which you preside in his holy
protection; that he would incline the hearts of the citizens
to cultivate the spirit of subordination and obedience to
government ...; and, finally, that he would be most
graciously pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love
mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility,
and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the
divine Author of our blessed religion,
and without an humble imitation of whose example in these
things we can never hope to be a happy nation. (Morris, p360, Federer, p646, and
Barton, pp 108f)
On October 3, 1789, Washington issued the following
National Day of Thanksgiving Proclamation:
-
Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the
providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful
for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and
favor; ...
Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the
twenty-sixth day of November next, to be devoted by the
people of these States to the service of that great and
glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good
that was, that is, or that will be; that we then may all
unite unto him our sincere and humble thanks for his kind
care and protection of the people of this country ...
And, also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering
our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of
Nations, and beseech him to pardon our national and other
transgressions; ... to promote the knowledge and practice of
true religion and virtue.... (Morris, pp 329,330, Federer, p654, and Barton, pp
115f; cf. Wikipedia
article on "George Washington and Religion")
Morality
On July 4, 1774, Washington ordered his soldiers:
-
"'The general most earnestly requires and expects
the due observance of those articles of war established for
the government of the army which forbid cursing, swearing,
and drunkenness, and in like manner he requires and expects
of all officers and soldiers, not engaged on actual duties,
a punctual attendance on divine service to implore the
blessing of Heaven upon the means used for safety and
defence.' (Morris, p342,
and Federer, p638)
In 1776 Washington also ordered his soldiers:
-
The general is sorry to be informed that the foolish and
wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing, a vice
hitherto little known in an American army, is growing into
fashion. He hopes the officers will, by example as well as
influence, endeavor to check it, and that both they and the
men will reflect that we can have little hope of the
blessing of Heaven ... if we insult it by our impiety and
folly. Added to this, it is a vice so mean and low, without
any temptation, that every man of sense and character
detests and despises it. (Morris, p344)
In May, 1777, Washington sent to the brigadier-generals of
the army the following instructions:
-
Let vice and immorality of every kind be discouraged as
much as possible in your brigade; ... Gaming [gambling] of
every kind is expressly forbidden, as being the foundation
of evil, and the cause of many a brave and gallant officer's
and soldier's ruin. (Morris, p345)
The following event occurred on March 10, 1778. A soldier was convicted ...
-
...for attempting to commit sodomy ... [and for] Perjury... [He was sentenced to be dismissed from the service with infamy.] His Excellency the Commander in Chief [George Washington] approves the sentence and with Abhorrence and Detestation of such Infamous Crimes orders [the soldier] to be drummed out of Camp tomorrow morning by all the Drummers and Fifers in the army never to return... (From
The Writings of George Washington, published in 1934 by the U.S. Government Printing Office, quoted
by Federer, pp 643,644)
Religious freedom
In 1789 Washington wrote regarding religious freedom:
-
If I could have entertained the slightest apprehension
that the Constitution framed in the Convention, where I had
the honor to preside, might possibly endanger the religious
rights of any ecclesiastical society, certainly I should
never have placed my signature to it; and, if I could now
conceive that the General Government might ever be so
administered as to render the liberty of conscience
insecure, I beg you will be persuaded that no one would be
more zealous than myself to establish effectual barriers
against the horrors of spiritual tyranny and every species
of religious persecution. For ... I have often expressed my
sentiments that every man, conducting himself as a good
citizen, and being accountable to God alone for his
religious opinions, ought to be protected in worshipping the
Deity according to the dictates of his own conscience. (Morris, p559, Federer,
p653, and Barton, p112)
Primary sources:
America's God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations, edited
by William Federer, 1994; FAME Pub. Inc., 820 S. MacArthur Blvd.,
Suite 105-220, Coppell, TX 75019-4214.
Christian Life And Character of the Civil Institutions of
the United States, Benjamin F. Morris; Philadelphia, 1863;
(2nd edition, 2007, American Vision, Powder Springs, GA 30127-5385)
Original Intent: The Courts, the Constitution, & Religion, David
Barton, 1996; WallBuilder Press, PO Box 397, Aledo, TX, 76008.
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