Topic category:  Other/General

This week I have decided to let men far wiser than I, our Founding Fathers, write most of this article. But before I share their words of wisdom with you, let me share a few facts that started me searching for the truth of the history of our nation, in the words of its Founders.

Were you aware that, immediately after creating the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress voted to purchase and import 20,000 copies of Scripture for the people of this nation? Or that in 1782, the United States Congress voted this resolution: "The Congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools."

And did you know that fifty-two of the fifty-five signers of "The Declaration of independence" were orthodox, deeply committed, Christians? (See LINK below.) The other three all believed in the Bible as the divine truth, the God of scripture, and His personal intervention.

Of the first 108 universities founded in America, 106 were clearly Christian, including the first, Harvard University, which was chartered in 1636. In the original Harvard Student Handbook, the very first rule was that students applying to the University must know Latin and Greek so that they could study the scriptures:

“Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life, John 17:3; and therefore to lay Jesus Christ as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning. And seeing the Lord only giveth wisdom, let everyone seriously set himself by prayer in secret to seek it of him (Proverbs 2:3)."

Although today Harvard is a bastion of anti-religious liberalism, it is interesting to note that during its first 100 years over 50% of all Harvard graduates became ministers.

Here are what the Founders of this great nation, as well as some great leaders in later times, have had to say about Christianity and our American heritage. There are hundreds of similar quotations which I cannot fit in this article. (See LINK below for many of them.)…

"Such being the impressions under which I have, in obedience to the public summons, repaired to the present station, 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 aide can supply every human defect, that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States a Government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes; and may enable every instrument employed in its administration to execute with success, the functions allotted to his charge." - George Washington, in his first inaugural address, 1789

"I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proof I see of this truth that God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that ‘except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it.’ I firmly believe this, and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel.” In this speech, Franklin lamented the fact that the Constitutional Convention was “groping in the dark.” He ended his speech with these words: “I therefore beg leave to move that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of this City be requested to officiate in that Service." - Benjamin Franklin, Constitutional Convention – June 28, 1787

Patrick Henry is famous for these words: "Give me liberty or give me death!" But in the textbooks our children study today, the context of his words has been removed. This is what he actually said: "An appeal to arms and the God of hosts is all that is left us. But we shall not fight our battle alone. There is a just God that presides over the destinies of nations. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone. Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it Almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death."

"Whether this new government will prove a blessing or a curse will depend upon the use our people make of the blessings which a gracious God hath bestowed on us. If they are wise, they will be great and happy. If they are of a contrary character, they will be miserable. Righteousness alone can exalt them as a nation (Proverbs 14:34).” - Patrick Henry, Written on the back of Henry's Stamp Act

"Amongst other strange things said of me, I hear it is said by the deists that I am one of the number; and, indeed, that some good people think I am no Christian. This thought gives me much more pain than the appellation of Tory; because I think religion of infinitely higher importance than politics; and I find much cause to reproach myself that I have lived so long, and have given no decided and public proofs of my being a Christian. But, indeed, my dear child, this is a character which I prize far above all this world has, or can boast." - Patrick Henry, in a letter to his daughter in 1796

"We have no government armed with the power capable of contending with human passions, unbridled by morality and true religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." - President John Quincy Adams, in an address to military leaders on October 11, 1798

John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court stated that when we select our national leaders, if we are to preserve our Nation, we must select Christians: "God has given to our people the choice of their rulers and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian Nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."

Many years later, Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States, wrote, "The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country."

So much for those historical revisionists who would have us believe that this was never a Christian nation. It may not be one today, but it was without doubt founded as a Christian nation.

So much for those who claim that our Founders were Deists. In the link below (“The Fifty Five Delegates to the Constitutional Convention”) the religious persuasion of all fifty-five delegates to the Constitutional Convention are listed. The fact is that in those times Deists were held in such low esteem that many states prohibited them from holding public office.

And so much for those who would deceive our children and steal from them their Christian heritage, by removing the truth from their textbooks and replacing it with lies. I have listed only a handful of direct quotes from just a few of our Founders. Hundreds more can be found on the websites listed below, by doing web searches, and by searching old books which have not been tampered with.

Take the time to discover your nation’s history, and share it with your children before it is too late. If we don’t understand our roots, if we don’t begin to move back toward them, then our history books will say whatever the Communists or Islamists who have conquered us decide they should say.

Dr. Tom Barrett
Conservative Truth (Publisher, Editor)