Was America started by secular men?

In previous blogs I covered two lies about America as discussed in Michael Medved's bestseller, The 10 Big Lies about America. Another lie he deals with has to do with our Founding Fathers: did they intend a secular, not a Christian, nation? His answer is simple -- no.

Medved writes this chapter in response to contemporary critics of religion who try to terrify the public about religious people in this country; they push the idea that our founders meant to establish a secular nation, not a Christian one. But he exposes this for the lie that it is.

In summary, he claims the earliest settlers came to establish, not to escape, devoutly Christian societies. In addition, the founders worried about government’s influence upon religion far more than they did about religious influence on government. In fact, they saw strong faith as an indispensable component of a healthy society. It is, instead, the extremists, not Christian conservatives, who seek to transform the nation and its institutions by overturning long-established constitutional balance in the process.

Let's start with his first claim -- the earliest settlers established Christian societies here in America. The Pilgrims, for example, left the Netherlands not because that nation had too many religious restrictions but because they believed it was too secular. Later on, the Puritans had the same reason for coming to America and setting up the Massachusetts Bay colony. These groups came to the New World seeking purity, not freedom.

The American Revolution itself was strongly influenced by the Great Awakening, an explosion of Christian enthusiasm and revival started earlier by George Whitefield and the Wesley brothers. Those fighting for independence saw their battlefield and political opponents not just as enemies of liberty but as enemies of God himself. They believed religious revival was a huge part of their potential victory.

When the revolution succeeded, the leaders of the struggling new nation did not dump their religious beliefs. In fact, the First Amendment reflected the importance of religion to the new Republic. The Establishment Clause actually protected the established churches in the states. Those in Congress who debated the First Amendment expressed no intention of interfering with the states that openly promoted and funded religious institutions. They intended the establishment of religion clause to protect state religious establishments from national displacement and to prevent the national government from helping some, but not all, religions. Even Thomas Jefferson, the favorite of so many secularists today, was far more worried about potential government harassment of minority faiths rather than worries over the state's ongoing promotion of religious principles and institutions. He recommended to Congress in 1803 the approval of a treaty that provided government funds to support a Catholic priest in ministering to Indian tribes. He participated weekly in Christian worship in the Capitol building. Imagine that today.

Were our Founding Fathers mostly Deists, not Christians? Medved says the dictionary definition of Deism is the belief that God exists and created the world but did not assume any control of it after that. But the Founding Fathers, including Jefferson and Franklin, talked a lot about God’s unceasing control of the world. Ben Franklin, for example, wanted a national seal showing Moses standing by the Red Sea stretching his hand out over it, showing God’s power at work.

The Founding Fathers went beyond religious truth when they commented on the value of religion for society. They unanimously agreed on the importance of fervent faith in protecting and nurturing the United States. Washington said, "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports." John Adams wrote, "It is religion and morality alone, which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand."

It's too bad that we have to have all of this explained to us again since it is so obviously true and has been a part of our understanding for generations. But recent textbooks, media outlets, teachers, and best-selling authors have drummed into us a new story—we are threatened by the religious right and must go back to the old days of our glorious secular past. The only problem—this story isn’t true.

I’ll cover another lie in a future blog.