Benjamin Rush - Religion in Education Necessary to Liberty and Government

Benjamin Rush was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was a leader in calling for free public education, and is also known as a leading proponent of opportunities for women in education.

In his "Of the Mode of Education Proper in a Republic" (1798), Rush said:

"I proceed in the next place, to enquire, what mode of education we shall adopt so as to secure to the state all the advantages that are to be derived from the proper instruction of youth; and here I beg leave to remark, that the only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in Religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments."
...
"It is foreign to my purpose to hint at the arguments which establish the truth of the Christian revelation. My only business is to declare, that all its doctrines and precepts are calculated to promote the happiness of society, and the safety and well being of civil government. A Christian cannot fail of being a republican. The history of the creation of man, and of the relation of our species to each other by birth, which is recorded in the Old Testament, is the best refutation that can be given to the divine right of kings, and the strongest argument that can be used in favor of the original and natural equality of all mankind. A Christian, I say again, cannot fail of being a republican, for every precept of the Gospel inculcates those degrees of humility, self-denial, and brotherly kindness, which are directly opposed to the pride of monarchy and the pageantry of a court. A Christian cannot fail of being useful to the republic, for his religion teacheth him, that no man 'liveth to himself.' And lastly, a Christian cannot fail of being wholly inoffensive, for his religion teacheth him, in all things to do to others what he would wish, in like circumstances, they should do to him."

Read the entire document on the University of Chicago site

President FDR - Faith in Freedom Under the Guidance of God

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said the following on January 6, 1941, during a speech to Congress:

"Today, thank God, one hundred and thirty million Americans, in forty-eight Sates, have forgotten points of the compass in our national unity... We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression... The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way... This nation has placed its destiny in the hands and heads and hearts of its millions of free men and women; and its faith in freedom under the guidance of God. Freedom means the supremacy of human rights everywhere. Our support goes to those who struggle to gain those rights or keep them. Our strength is our unity of purpose. To that high concept there can be no end save victory."

Read the whole speech at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Libray and Museum

President Hoover - Bible Contains Concentrated Wisdom

President Herbert Hoover said the following in a message to the National Federation of Men's Bible Classes Convention (May 5, 1929):

"There is no other book so various as the Bible, nor one so full of concentrated wisdom. Whether it be of law, business, morals, or that vision which leads the imagination in the creation of constructive enterprises for the happiness of mankind, he who seeks for guidance in any of these things may look inside its covers and find illumination. The study of this Book in your Bible classes is a postgraguate course in the richest library of human experience. As a nation we are indebted to the Book of Books for our national ideals and representative institutions. Their preservation rests in adhering to its principles."

As quoted by The American Presidency Project

Calvin Coolidge on Spritual Nature of Declaration of Independence

The following is from President Calvin Coolidge, July 5, 1926 (speaking about the Declaration of Independence):

"In its main feature the Declaration of Indepdendence is a great spiritual document. It is a declaration not of material but of spiritual conceptions. Equality, liberty, popular sovereignty, the rights of man - these are...ideals. They have their source and their roots in the religious convictions. They belong to the unseen world. Unless the faith of the Americans in these religious convictions is to endure, the principles of our Declaration will perish. We can not continue to enjoy the result if we neglect and abandon the cause."

From the book Treasury of Presidential Quotations by William J. Federer


See excerpt in Google Books

Jefferson on Balancing Rights and Inconvenience

President Thomas Jefferson is so often quoted in a misleading context today by the mis-use of his metaphor "separation of church and state" as some kind of guide to the First Amendment. There is even an organization, using that phrase as part of its name, that seems determined to limit religious expression in any public ceremony, in public schools, and in many other areas.

Would Jefferson have wanted a court to prohibit a school choir singing much of Bach's music because it was written with a religious context? Would Jefferson have wanted the courts to force the Ten Commandments out of the public square in many towns? Do those and many other actions fit the following quote from Jefferson?

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it."

Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 1791. ME 8:276, as found at the University of Virginia's Jefferson collection

Samuel Adams - Religion and the Family

Today Samuel Adams is known as a brand of beer. But he is also revered as one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and as the man who helped draft the Articles of Confederation and the Massachusetts Constitution. He said:

"I could dwell on the importance of piety and religion; of industry and frugality; of prudence, economy, regularity and an even government; all which are essential to the well-being of a family. But I have not Time. I cannot however help repeating Piety, because I think it indispensable. Religion in a Family is at once its brightest Ornament & its best Security. The first Point of Justice, says a Writer I have met with, consists in Piety; Nothing certainly being so great a Debt upon us, as to render to the Creator & Preserver those Acknowledgments which are due to Him for our Being, and the hourly Protection he affords us."

From a letter to Thomas wells, November 22, 1780. As found in Character for Life: An American Heritage, by Don Hawkinson.

More of the 1st Amendment - Freedom of Press

Normally I post about the religion clauses of the First Amendment, but the amendment also contains important protections for speech and the press. Here is the entire amendment:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceable to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Now we have a United States senator suggesting federal partnerships with newspapers to save those that are financially strapped. And, of course, there would be conditions. The papers would not be allowed to editorialize. However, as seen in this previous post (and others), many newspapers have a very left-leaning bias in their news/reporting sections. Not surprisingly, the senator proposing this new government entanglement is a Democrats. The whole story is linked below.

Why did the Founders write the speech/press portion withing the same clause? Why did they include it at all? I'm sure part of the reason is that they knew our country's survival depended on free exchange of ideas and open critique of the government. But what if several of our newspapers are partly gagged by the federal government (voluntarily, in exchange for federal dollars, of course)? Read my previous post about the 10th Amendment. It is clear in my mind, at least, that the Founders would not have approved of our federal government buying so much of a stake in so many companies and industries as they are now doing. But it is almost certain they would not approve of the government getting involved in the news business.

Each member of the Senate takes this oath of office:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God." (According to http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Oath_Office.htm)

While they promise to support the Constitution, and to be faithful to it, sometimes I wonder if many of these folks have ever read it! We are so far from the authorizations allowed by the Constitution that I fear we will never make our way back.

Senator Introduces "Newspaper Revitalization Act"

1st Amendment + 10th Amendment = Bookends

Just the briefest introduction. When the Constitution was written our Founding Fathers were wary of a too-powerful national government. They were careful to draft a Constitution that put limits on the federal government by giving them only certain prescribed powers. But some were afraid the Federal Government might still try to take more power than was intended, so they insisted on having Bill of Rights, which would assure the people that the rights that they assume they have are indeed rights they have. The Religion Clauses of the First Amendment, for example, were put in place to keep the government from interfering with religious freedom. Many of our states at the time had official religions that were supported by the state; the First Amendment prohibited the Federal Government from making any law regarding those states' religions.

As is clearly stated on this blog, the main subject is the Religion Clauses of our First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. So why would I have a small sub-thread about media bias? One reason is that I hold the media of today partly responsible for the misunderstanding that exists about the meaning of the First Amendment. It is typical to find "separation of church and state" much more often than "freedom of religion" in news stories, for example, and that leads to misinterpretation.

Two other parts of the First Amendment are intended to protect freedom of speech and freedom of the press. I believe our Founders put those particular items into the very first of the ten amendments of the Bill of Rights for a reason. Religion was important to them, and they believed that religion was helpful, or even essential, to a successful society and government. And they believed that our population must be free to speak their opinions without threat of government intervention. It's important to let people and the press criticize the government and to have free and open debates about policies.

Then there is the 10th Amendment. It says:

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

Our Constitution spells out specific powers granted to the Federal Government. The Bill of Rights reassures the people that they have rights, which according to the Declaration of Independence, are given to us by God (our "Creator"), not by the Government. Capping that off is the 10th Amendment, which clearly says that our Federal Government has ONLY those powers spelled out. Period.

Especially recently, the Federal Government is grabbing power like never before. On the momentum of a fiscal crisis, they are building laws and policies that take power from the private sector in order to manage the economy. Whether or not you prefer them to do this, the Constitution did not give them this kind of power, and I don't believe we have any other amendments to the Constitution that allow it. Beyond that infraction, the laws/policies contain many facets that are not truly geared toward economic stimulus. Instead they seem geared toward creating various other laws to 1) satisfy individual representatives and their voters in their home states, or 2) to create policies that have been on one or more wish lists for a long time. Politics as usual? Perhaps. But it is not "usual" to be throwing around trillion-dollar checks one after another after another after... Money is power, and the more money the Federal Government takes from us, the more power we give up to them.

I just did a search of the USA Today website for the phrases "10th amendment" and "tenth amendment." I found a total of 3 results between the two phrases. Whether or not you are for/against the "stimulus" packages, don't you think that more of the press should at least question the power of the Federal Government to do this? If nothing else, it would make a good debate. And it sure would be nice to glance at the Constitution now and then, at least in passing, to see if we are a legitimate track.

More Media Bias - New York Times Leaves Out Dodd's Party Affiliation

I have covered media bias only rarely in this venue. The posts you find here are mostly about the First Amendment Religion Clauses, but some of the misunderstanding about our history and the First Amendment is due to unbalanced media coverage. So I consider media bias an important thing to watch for.

Most Americans are aware of the scandal about AIG's bonus payouts. Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut is deeply involved and has been feeling pressure from the pressure. Dodd is a Democrat. Usually the press is more kind to Democrats than Republicans, but even so Dodd has been receiving some tough interviews from the media.

But the New York Times isn't quite ready to abandon its standard leaning in favor of Democrat ideology. In a story about Dodd's troubles they did not mention his party affiliation in the print edition! The online edition mentioned it in paragraph 4. The headline did not even mention his name.

Here is the story:

Times Forgets Sen. Dodd Is A Democrat

Don't forget this is a game you can play at home! As you read the paper or your online sources, notice the language they use. If it is a scandal story, where is the party affiliation mentioned? Does that typically vary depending on whether the subject is a Democrat or Republican? Read the story below for more information.

My original post on media bias was about 6 months ago. You can find it here:

Do Popular News Sources Lean Left?

Christian Roots of the United States

It is surprising how often I see articles and blog posts saying that our Founding Fathers intended this to be a secular nation, supposedly proven by the fact that most of our Founders were atheists or deists. The claim is made that only a few were actually Christian. From that point further claims are usually made about how they wanted complete separation of church and state.

But most of our Founders were indeed Christian. They believed that religion is necessary to a healthy society and a successful government. They were clearly not shy about invoking their faith in public. So let me summarize here a small part of the information found in some of my other posts.

I have examined all of the Presidents' Inaugural address, starting with George Washington. For those Presidents who were able to give addresses, all mention God/faith etc.

Presidential Inaugural Addresses - Godly Words

Then I examined all 50 State constitutions and found that ALL make reference to God, our Creator, etc.

God in Our 50 State Constitutions

I did some research on many of our Founding Fathers. It seemed a good place to start was with those who signed the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, or who were delegates to the Constitutional Convention. The lists below could be much longer if I showed names in duplicate for those who were involved in more than one, but I chose to skip the duplicatation.

Christian Signers of the U.S. Constitution

Christian Signers of the Declaration of Independence

Christian Delegates to the Constitutional Convention

The U.S. House of Representatives did some more footwork for me, summarizing some of our religious history in U.S. House Resolution 888. I hope the links above and quotes below will help restore some perspective.

(See the entire text of House Resulution 888)

...
"Whereas the delegates to the Constitutional Convention concluded their work by in effect placing a religious punctuation mark at the end of the Constitution in the Attestation Clause, noting not only that they had completed the work with `the unanimous consent of the States present' but they had done so `in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty seven';
...
"Whereas in 1789, Congress, in the midst of framing the Bill of Rights and the First Amendment, passed the first Federal law touching education, declaring that `Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged';
...
"Whereas in 1853 the United States Senate declared that the Founding Fathers `had no fear or jealousy of religion itself, nor did they wish to see us an irreligious people ... they did not intend to spread over all the public authorities and the whole public action of the nation the dead and revolting spectacle of atheistical apathy';

"Whereas in 1854 the United States House of Representatives declared `It [religion] must be considered as the foundation on which the whole structure rests ... Christianity; in its general principles, is the great conservative element on which we must rely for the purity and permanence of free institutions';
...
"Whereas President John Adams, one of only 2 signers of the Bill of Rights and First Amendment, declared `As the safety and prosperity of nations ultimately and essentially depend on the protection and the blessing of Almighty God, and the national acknowledgment of this truth is not only an indispensable duty which the people owe to Him';
...
"Whereas Thomas Jefferson urged local governments to make land available specifically for Christian purposes, provided Federal funding for missionary work among Indian tribes, and declared that religious schools would receive `the patronage of the government';
...
"Whereas the United States Supreme Court has declared throughout the course of our Nation's history that the United States is `a Christian country', `a Christian nation', `a Christian people', `a religious people whose institutions presuppose a Supreme Being', and that `we cannot read into the Bill of Rights a philosophy of hostility to religion';

"Whereas Justice John Jay, an author of the Federalist Papers and original Justice of the United States Supreme Court, urged `The most effectual means of securing the continuance of our civil and religious liberties is always to remember with reverence and gratitude the Source from which they flow';

"Whereas Justice James Wilson, a signer of the Constitution, declared that `Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is Divine ... Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants';

"Whereas Justice William Paterson, a signer of the Constitution, declared that `Religion and morality ... [are] necessary to good government, good order, and good laws';

"Whereas President George Washington, who passed into law the first legal acts organizing the Federal judiciary, asked, `where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths in the courts of justice?';
...

President Obama Inaugural Address - God Calls Us to Shape Our Destiny

Our 44th President Is Barack Obama. In his Inaugural address he said:

"We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit, to choose our better history, to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
...
"This is the source of our confidence--the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
...
"Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America."

Read the entire address

Pres. Bush, 2nd Inaugural - God Moves and Chooses as He Wills

President George W. Bush said the following in his second Inaugural address (2005):

"The rulers of outlaw regimes can know that we still believe as Abraham Lincoln did: 'Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and, under the rule of a just God, cannot long retain it.'
...
"God moves and chooses as He wills.
...
"May God bless you, and may He watch over the United States of America."

Read the entire address

Pres. George W. Bush 1st Inaugural - Religion Has an Honored Place

The 43rd President of the United States was George W. Bush. In his 2001 Inaugural address he said:

"And some needs and hurts are so deep they will only respond to a mentor’s touch or a pastor’s prayer. Church and charity, synagogue and mosque lend our communities their humanity, and they will have an honored place in our plans and in our laws.
...
"When we see that wounded traveler on the road to Jericho, we will not pass to the other side.
...
"Abandonment and abuse [of children] are not acts of God, they are failures of love.
...
"God bless you all, and God bless America."

Read President Bush's entire Inaugural address

Pres. Clinton, 2nd Inaugural - May God Strengthen Our Hands for Good Work

President Bill Clinton said the following in his second Inaugural address (1997):

"Our rich texture of racial, religious and political diversity will be a Godsend in the 21st century.
...
"May God strengthen our hands for the good work ahead--and always, always bless our America."

Read the entire address

President Clinton 1st Inaugural - With God's Help We Answer the Call

Our 42nd President was William Jefferson Clinton. In his 1993 Inaugural address, he said:

"From this joyful mountaintop of celebration, we hear a call to service in the valley. We have heard the trumpets. We have changed the guard. And now, each in our way, and with God's help, we must answer the call.
...
"Thank you and God bless you all."

Read the entire address

President Theodore Roosevelt - Sermon on August 6, 1905

On August 6, 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt preached a 30-minute sermon to the Christian Brotherhood of Oyster Bay. Here is an excerpt with his thoughts on the meaning of brotherhood:

"The next quotation I wish to read to you is found in Matthew xxv., 37-40, inclusive:
"'Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee a-hungered and fed Thee, or thirsty and gave Thee drink? When saw we Thee a stranger and took Thee in, or naked and clothed Thee, or when saw we Thee sick or in prison and came unto Thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of My brethren ye have done it unto Me.'
"That is what this brotherhood means, by trying to worship our Creator, by acting toward His creatures as He would have us act, to try to make our religion a living force in our lives, to do unto others as we would have them do unto us."

From the New York Times, August 7, 1905

Pres. George H.W. Bush Inaugural - God's Love Is Truly Boundless

Our 41st President was George H.W. Bush. In his 1989 Inaugural address he said,

"Our challenges are great, but our will is greater. And if our flaws are endless, God's love is truly boundless.

"Thank you. God bless you and God bless the United States of America."

Read the entire address

2nd Inaugural of Pres. Reagan - God Called U.S. to Pass the Dream On to the World

In Ronald Reagan's Second Inaugural address (1985), he said:

"God bless you and welcome back.
...
"One people under God determined that our future shall be worthy of our past.
...
"My friends, together we can do this, and do it we must, so help me God.
...
"There is no story more heartening in our history than the progress that we have made toward the "brotherhood of man" that God intended for us.
...
"It is the American sound. It is hopeful, big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent, and fair. That's our heritage; that is our song. We sing it still. For all our problems, our differences, we are together as of old, as we raise our voices to the God who is the Author of this most tender music. And may He continue to hold us close as we fill the world with our sound—sound in unity, affection, and love—one people under God, dedicated to the dream of freedom that He has placed in the human heart, called upon now to pass that dream on to a waiting and hopeful world.
"God bless you and may God bless America."

Read the entire address

President Reagan's 1st Inaugural - We Are a Nation Under God

The 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, said this in his 1981 Inuagural address:

"Your dreams, your hopes, your goals are going to be the dreams, the hopes, and the goals of this administration, so help me God.
...
"I am told that tens of thousands of prayer meetings are being held on this day, and for that I am deeply grateful. We are a nation under God, and I believe God intended for us to be free. It would be fitting and good, I think, if on each Inauguration Day in future years it should be declared a day of prayer.
...
"...together, with God's help, we can and will resolve the problems which now confront us. And, after all, why shouldn't we believe that? We are Americans. God bless you, and thank you."

Read the whole address

Judge Says Too Much Religion Makes Home School Unacceptable

Long ago on this blog I posted about the Northwest Ordinance, one of our four foundational documents according to the U.S. Code. This was approved by the same Congress who passed the First Amendment (and the Establishment Clause). The Ordinance says in part (boldface mine), “Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall be forever encouraged and established in the Northwest Territory.” (You can see it here.)

Also some time ago I posted how Thomas Jefferson, the man who is quoted when "separation of church and state" is invoked, was once president of the Washington, D.C. public school system. Jefferson approved as the main sources of reading the Watts Hymnal and the Holy Bible. (Read the post here.)

But now we have an interesting news tidbit. Granted there are some complications because of a divorce, but basically a judge says that home-schooled kids must go back to public school because of one aspect of the home school curriculum. The judge says the "lessons ... have a religious slant, which ... was the root of the problem." Never mind that the kids, 10, 11, and 12 years old, test 3 years above their grade level.

In this case, the father objects to the mother's emphasis on religion. Certainly it is important to consider both parents' wishes, but usually when children are thriving in an environment, that is a reason to leave things as they are unless the environment is generally objectionable.

Here are some questions that arise in my mind.

• If the kids had been going to a non-religious private school and the father thought they needed to be in public school, would the judge have agreed?
• If a father objected to a custodial mother's choice of church, would the judge then say she has to change churches?

How much latitude should a judge have in a country that guarantees freedom of religion? The purpose of the First Amendment was to keep the government from establishing a national religion and to keep it from interfering in religious belief/practice. Would the Founding Fathers who wrote the First Amendment have approved of a judge who agrees that it could be considered bad to teach religion as part of a home school environment? The judge could only please one parent in this case. He decided to please the non-custodial parent because, I assume, he agreed that too much religion is not good for kids. He is sending them to an environment that has been stripped of religion (by other judges).

That's my opinion. What do you think? (Respectful comments are welcome)

The story I refer to is here:
Judge Orders Home Schoolers into Public Classrooms

Justice Richard Storey: Our Freedom Depends on Religion

Justice Richard Storey was appointed to the Supreme Court by James Madison. In 1833, Storey wrote "Commentaries on the Constitution." In it he said,

"It yet remains a problem to be solved in human affairs, whether any free government can be permanent, where the public worship of God, and the support of religion, constitute no part of the policy or duty of the state in any assignable shape. The future experience of Christendom, and chiefly of the American states, must settle this problem, as yet new in the history of the world, abundant, as it has been, in experiments in the theory of government."

See the excerpt on Google Books

President Carter's Inaugural Address - Walk Humbly with God

Our 39th President was Jimmy Carter. In his 1977 Inaugural address he said:

"Here before me is the Bible used in the inauguration of our first President, in 1789, and I have just taken the oath of office on the Bible my mother gave me a few years ago, opened to a timeless admonition from the ancient prophet Micah: 'He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.' (Micah 6: 8)
...
"Let us learn together and laugh together and work together and pray together, confident that in the end we will triumph together in the right."

Read the entire address

President Ford - With God's Help, in God's Will

The 38th President of the U.S., Gerald Ford, said this at his swearing-in speech (1974)

"...I now solemnly reaffirm my promise I made to you last December 6: to uphold the Constitution, to do what is right as God gives me to see the right, and to do the very best I can for America. God helping me, I will not let you down."

Read the entire address

All 50 State Constitutions Mention God, Creator, Etc.

I have just finished a series of 50 posts showing some of the references to God in all 50 of our states' constitutions. You can see the individual posts, including links to the entire constitution text for each state, by following this label: State Documents

But if you would prefer to see them all in a list, here they are:

Alabama Constitution from 1901. The Preamble say in part:

• "We the people of the State of Alabama, invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following Constitution . . ."

• But in Section 1 the Alabama Constitution echoes Jefferson's words from our Declaration of Independence, recognizing that our right are not a "gift" from government, but rather are granted to all people by God.
  
  Section 1
  "That all men are equally free and independent; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Alaska (1956) says in its preamble:

• "We the people of Alaska, grateful to God and to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land, in order to secure and transmit to succeeding generations our heritage of political, civil, and religious liberty within the Union of States, do ordain and establish this constitution for the State of Alaska."

Arizona Preamble says:

• "We the people of the State of Arizona, grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution."

Arkansas Preamble says:

• "We, the People of the State of Arkansas, grateful to Almighty God for the privilege of choosing our own form of government; for our civil and religious liberty; and desiring to perpetuate its blessings, and secure the same to our selves and posterity; do ordain and establish this Constitution."

California Constitution Preamble:

• "We, the People of the State of California, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure and perpetuate its blessings, do establish this Constitution."

Colorado Preamble:

• "We, the people of Colorado, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, in order to form a more independent and perfect government; establish justice; insure tranquility; provide for the common defense; promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the "State of Colorado."

Connecticut constitution says:

• "The People of Connecticut acknowledging with gratitude, the good providence of God, in having permitted them to enjoy a free government; do, in order more effectually to define, secure, and perpetuate the liberties, rights and privileges which they have derived from their ancestors; hereby, after a careful consideration and revision, ordain and establish the following constitution and form of civil government."
  
  
• According to Harbornet, the original version also included this phrase:
  "No preference shall be given by law to any Christian sect or mode of worship."
  Note that discrimination was prohibited among Christian sects.
  
  
• Connecticut is our "Constitution State" and has a very religious background. It was a group of Baptists in CT who wrote to Thomas Jefferson, fearing they would be discriminated against. Jefferson wrote back his famous (recently, anyway) letter of reassurance that talked about a wall of separation. But also, according to Wikipedia,
  
  Connecticut was originally founded by Congregationalists who split away from the Massachusetts colony between 1635 and 1636. The first settlers founded three towns on the Connecticut river in Windsor, Wethersfield, and Hartford. One of the main purposes of the Fundamental Orders was to formalize the relationship between these three towns. The core foundation of the Fundamental Orders incorporates the ingrained religious background of the colony’s founders. They called for “an orderly and decent government according to God” in attempts to pursue “The liberty and purity of the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” Until 1818, the Congregational Church stood as the established church of the state. All Connecticut residents were required to attend church and/or pay taxes to support the Congregational faith. Anyone belonging to another Christian sect such as Baptist, Episcopal, or Quaker, had to provide documentation signed by a church officer indicating attendance and financial support of their separate church in order to avoid paying taxes to the Congregationalists.

Delaware (from 1897) is a little more bold than some others in tipping its hat to God. Here is the entire Preamble:

• "Through Divine goodness, all men have by nature the rights of worshiping and serving their Creator according to the dictates of their consciences, of enjoying and defending life and liberty, of acquiring and protecting reputation and property, and in general of obtaining objects suitable to their condition, without injury by one to another; and as these rights are essential to their welfare, for due exercise thereof, power is inherent in them; and therefore all just authority in the institutions of political society is derived from the people, and established with their consent, to advance their happiness; and they may for this end, as circumstances require, from time to time, alter their Constitution of government."

Florida, originally from 1845, contains in its preamble a statement of gratitude to God:

• "We, the people of the State of Florida, being grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty, in order to secure its benefits, perfect our government, insure domestic tranquility, maintain public order, and guarantee equal civil and political rights to all, do ordain and establish this constitution."

Georgia has, as do other state Constitutions, a strong statement about a respect for God. Georgia also provides for using state funds for religious organizations (to help the poor).

• Preamble:
  To perpetuate the principles of free government, insure justice to all, preserve peace, promote the interest and happiness of the citizen and of the family, and transmit to posterity the enjoyment of liberty, we the people of Georgia, relying upon the protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution.
  
  
• Section I, Paragraph III.
  Freedom of conscience. Each person has the natural and inalienable right to worship God, each according to the dictates of that person´s own conscience; and no human authority should, in any case, control or interfere with such right of conscience.
  
  
• Section I, Paragraph IV.
  Religious opinions; freedom of religion. No inhabitant of this state shall be molested in person or property or be prohibited from holding any public office or trust on account of religious opinions; but the right of freedom of religion shall not be so construed as to excuse acts of licentiousness or justify practices inconsistent with the peace and safety of the state.
  
  
• Article III., Section IX., Paragraph IV.
  (d) Funds appropriated to or received by the State Housing Trust Fund for the Homeless... may be expended for programs of purely public charity for the homeless, including programs involving the participation of churches and religious institutions...

Hawaii's constitution is unusual in that it doesn't use the word "God" or "Creator," but rather refers to "Divine Guidance." The "D" and "G" are upper case letters in the sentence of the preamble where the phrase is used.

• The Preamble begins with:
  We, the people of Hawaii, grateful for Divine Guidance, and mindful of our Hawaiian heritage and uniqueness as an island State, dedicate our efforts to fulfill the philosophy decreed by the Hawaii State motto, "Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono."
  [The state motto translates to "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness."]

Idaho Constitution dates from 1889. In its Preamble we find:

• "We, the people of the state of Idaho, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and promote our common welfare do establish this Constitution."

Illinois' Constitution says:

• "We, the People of the State of Illinois - grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He has permitted us to enjoy and seeking His blessing upon our endeavors..."

Indiana Constitution (from 1851) contains several clauses recognizing the faith on which the country was founded. Interesting is their use of CAPS. The upper-case and lower-case words below are presented just as they are found in Indiana's Constitution:

• Preamble:
  ...WE, the People of the State of Indiana, grateful to ALMIGHTY GOD for the free exercise of the right to choose our own form of government, do ordain this Constitution.
  

• Article 1 (Bill of Rights)
  Section 1. WE DECLARE, That all people are created equal; that they are endowed by their CREATOR with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that all power is inherent in the people; and that all free governments are, and of right ought to be, founded on their authority, and instituted for their peace, safety, and well-being. For the advancement of these ends, the people have, at all times, an indefeasible right to alter and reform their government.
  Section 2. All people shall be secured in the natural right to worship ALMIGHTY GOD, according to the dictates of their own consciences.

Iowa Constitution (from 1857), in its Preamble, says:

• "We, the People of the State of Iowa, grateful to the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him for a continuation of these blessings..."

Kansas recognizes the blessings of God. The Preamble contains:

• "We, the people of Kansas, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious privileges, in order to insure the full enjoyment of our rights as American citizens, do ordain and establish this constitution of the state of Kansas..."

Kentucky. The Preamble to their Constitution (from 1891) says:

• "We, the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy, and invoking the continuance of these blessings, do ordain and establish this Constitution."

Louisiana, from 1921, says in its Preamble:

• "We, the people of the State of Louisiana, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy . . ."
  
  
• Notice later in Section 8 where the Constitution has its own Establishment and Free Exercise clauses. As in our own Constitution, the restriction here is on the making of laws, not on common practice or ceremonial recognition of religion:
  "No law shall be enacted respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

Maine (1820, updated 2003) has this for its Preamble:

• "Objects of government. We the people of Maine, in order to establish justice, insure tranquility, provide for our mutual defense, promote our common welfare, and secure to ourselves and our posterity the blessings of liberty, acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe in affording us an opportunity, so favorable to the design; and, imploring God's aid and direction in its accomplishment, do agree to form ourselves into a free and independent State, by the style and title of the State of Maine and do ordain and establish the following Constitution for the government of the same."

Maryland's Constitution dates back to 1776. In its Declaration of Rights it opens with:

• "We, the People of the State of Maryland, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty, and taking into our serious consideration the best means of establishing a good Constitution in this State for the sure foundation and more permanent security..."
  
  
• And in Article 36 it spells out religious protections, rights and obligations. It requires a belief in God and a system of afterlife rewards and punishments. Despite that, the article declares that it is not establishing a religion by those requirements:
  "That as it is the duty of every man to worship God in such manner as he thinks most acceptable to Him, all persons are equally entitled to protection in their religious liberty; wherefore, no person ought by any law to be molested in his person or estate, on account of his religious persuasion, or profession, or for his religious practice, unless, under the color of religion, he shall disturb the good order, peace or safety of the State, or shall infringe the laws of morality, or injure others in their natural, civil or religious rights; nor ought any person to be compelled to frequent, or maintain, or contribute, unless on contract, to maintain, any place of worship, or any ministry; nor shall any person, otherwise competent, be deemed incompetent as a witness, or juror, on account of his religious belief; provided, he believes in the existence of God, and that under His dispensation such person will be held morally accountable for his acts, and be rewarded or punished therefor either in this world or in the world to come.
  
  "Nothing shall prohibit or require the making reference to belief in, reliance upon, or invoking the aid of God or a Supreme Being in any governmental or public document, proceeding, activity, ceremony, school, institution, or place.
  
  "Nothing in this article shall constitute an establishment of religion (amended by Chapter 558, Acts of 1970, ratified Nov. 3, 1970)."
  
  
• And when you look at the controversy over President-Elect Obama's choice of pastor for his swearing-in, and the fact that some groups think the President should not swear and oath that mentions God, consider Article 39:
  
  "That the manner of administering an oath or affirmation to any person, ought to be such as those of the religious persuasion, profession, or denomination, of which he is a member, generally esteem the most effectual confirmation by the attestation of the Divine Being."

Massachusetts Constitution, from 1780, has the following in its Preamble:

• "We... the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Great Legislator of the Universe..."
  
  
• And then later we find this:
  
  Massachusetts Bill of Rights, Part the First
  
  "It is the right as well as the duty of all men in society, publicly and at stated seasons, to worship the Supreme Being, the great Creator and Preserver of the universe. And no subject shall be hurt, molested, or restrained in his person, liberty, or estate, for worshipping God in the manner and season most agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience; or for his religion profession of sentiments; provided he doth not disturb the public peace, or obstruct others in their religious worship...."

Michigan Constitution dates from 1908. It's Premable says:

• "We, the people of the State of Michigan, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom, and earnestly desiring to secure these blessings undiminished to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution"
  
  
• Then later we find the portion that follows the Northwest Ordinance:
  
  Article VIII - Encouragement of education.
  Sec. 1. Religion, morality and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged

Minnesota, dating from 1857, has in its Preamble:

• "We, the people of the State of Minnesota, grateful to God for our civil and religious liberty, and desiring to perpetuate its blessings..."
  
  
• Later, in Article 1, Section 16, it says:
  "...The right of every man to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience shall never be infringed;..."

Mississippi Constitution, from 1890, says in its Preamble:

• "We, the people of Mississippi in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking His blessing on our work..."
  
  
• In Section 40, the Constitution provides the oath of office for the state legislature, judges, and all other state offices. The required texts all end with, "So help me God."
  
  
• In Section 18 (boldface added):
  
  "No religious test as a qualification for office shall be required; and no preference shall be given by law to any religious sect or mode of worship; but the free enjoyment of all religious sentiments and the different modes of worship shall be held sacred. The rights hereby secured shall not be construed to justify acts of licentiousness injurious to morals or dangerous to the peace and safety of the state, or to exclude the Holy Bible from use in any public school of this state."

Missouri Constitution's Preamble contains:

• "We, the people of Missouri, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and grateful for His goodness..."

Montana Constitution, from 1889, had as its Preamble:

• "We the people of Montana grateful to God for the quiet beauty of our state, the grandeur of our mountains, the vastness of our rolling plains, and desiring to improve the quality of life, equality of opportunity and to secure the blessings of liberty for this and future generations do ordain and establish this constitution."
  
  
• Then in Section 3, the Oath of office, it says that members of the legislature and all executive, ministerial and judicial officers will take an oath that ends with the words "...so help me God."

Nebraska Constitution, from 1875

• Preamble:
  
  "We, the people, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, do ordain and establish the following declaration of rights and frame of government, as the Constitution of the State of Nebraska."
  
  
• Section 4:
  
  "All persons have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences. ... Religion, morality, and knowledge, however, being essential to good government, it shall be the duty of the legislature to pass suitable laws to protect every religious denomination in the peaceable enjoyment of its own mode of public worship, and to encourage schools and the means of instruction."

Nevada Constitution, from 1864, has as its Preamble:

• "We the people of the State of Nevada Grateful to Almighty God for our freedom in order to secure its blessings, insure domestic tranquility, and form a more perfect Government, do establish this Constitution."

New Hampshire Constitution (1792), Article 5 says:

• "Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience, and reason; and no subject shall be hurt, molested, or restrained, in his peers on, liberty, or estate, for worshipping God in the manner and season most agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience; or for his religious profession, sentiments, or persuasion; provided he doth not disturb the public peace or disturb others in their religious worship."

New Jersey Constitution (from 1844) says in its Preamble:

• "We, the people of the State of New Jersey, grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing upon our endeavors to secure and transmit the same unimpaired to succeeding generations, do ordain and establish this Constitution."
  
  
• Article 1, 3:
  
  "No person shall be deprived of the inestimable privilege of worshipping Almighty God in a manner agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience;..."

New Mexico (1911) says in its Preamble:

• "We, the people of New Mexico, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty, in order to secure the advantages of a state government, do ordain and establish this Constitution."

New York, from 1846, has this as its Preamble:

• "WE, THE PEOPLE of the State of New York, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings, DO ESTABLISH THIS CONSTITUTION."
  
  
• Later in the Constitution (Bill of Rights, Section 3):
  
  "The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed in this state to all humankind; and no person shall be rendered incompetent to be a witness on account of his or her opinions on matters of religious belief; but the liberty of conscience hereby secured shall not be so construed as to excuse acts of licentiousness, or justify practices inconsistent with the peace or safety of this state."

North Carolina (1868). the Preamble declares (boldface added):

• "We, the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for the preservation of the American Union and the existence of our civil, political and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those blessings to us and our posterity, do, for the more certain security thereof and for the better government of this State, ordain and establish this Constitution."
  
  [Sometimes people think that references to God, or some god (small "g"), are mostly ceremonial in official documents - a "tip of the hat" if you will. The language in the passage above seems to go far beyond a tip of the hat, and also seems to recoginize that there is one God.]
  
  
• Similarly, the language found later is also fairly specific. In Sec. 13. Religious liberty (boldface added):
  
  "All persons have a natural and inalienable right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences, and no human authority shall, in any case whatever, control or interfere with the rights of conscience."

North Dakota's Constitution (1889) says in its Preamble:

• "We, the people of North Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, do ordain and establish this constitution."

Ohio Constitution (1852) excerpts:

• Preamble:
  
  "We, the people of the State of Ohio, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and promote our common welfare, do establish this Constitution."
  
  
• Section 7:
  
  "All men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own conscience... Religion, morality, and knowledge, however, being essential to good government, it shall be the duty of the General Assembly to pass suitable laws, to protect every religious denomination in the peaceable enjoyment of its own mode of public worship, and to encourage schools and the means of instruction."

Oklahoma Constitution (1907) says in its Preamble:

• "Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in order to secure and perpetuate the blessing of liberty; to secure just and rightful government; to promote our mutual welfare and happiness, we, the people of the State of Oklahoma, do ordain and establish this Constitution."

Oregon (1857) says:

• Bill of Rights, Article I, Section 2:
  "All men shall be secure in the Natural right, to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their consciences."

Pennsylvania (1776) says in its Preamble:

• "WE, the people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance, do ordain and establish this Constitution."
  
  
• Then in sections 3 and 4 there are more references to God and worship:
  
  Section 3.
  "All men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences;..."
  
  Section 4. (Underline added)
  "No person who acknowledges the being of a God and a future state of rewards and punishments shall, on account of his religious sentiments, be disqualified to hold any office or place of trust or profit under this Commonwealth."

Rhode Island (1842) says in its Preamble:

• "We, the people of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing upon our endeavors to secure and to transmit the same, unimpaired, to succeeding generations, do ordain and establish this Constitution of government."
  
  
• Later in the Rhode Island Constitution we find these passages:
  
  "Section 3. Freedom of religion.
  Whereas Almighty God hath created the mind free; and all attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burdens, or by civil incapacitations, tend to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness; and whereas a principal object of our venerable ancestors, in their migration to this country and their settlement of this state, was, as they expressed it, to hold forth a lively experiment that a flourishing civil state may stand and be best maintained with full liberty in religious concernments;..."
  
  "Section 3. Oath of general officers.
  All general officers shall take the following engagement...'to the best of your abilities, according to law: So help you God.'"

South Carolina (1778) Constitution, Preamble:

• "We, the people of the State of South Carolina, in Convention assembled, grateful to God for our liberties, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the preservation and perpetuation of the same."

South Dakota (1889) says in its Preamble:

• "We, the people of South Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberties, in order to form a more perfect and independent government, establish justice, insure tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and preserve to ourselves and to our posterity the blessings of liberty, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the state of South Dakota."

Tennessee (1796) says:

• Preamble
  "...by an act passed on the Twenty-seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-three..."
  [Note: use of "year of our Lord" was simply a formal way of expressing the date, but why was it such common usage?]
  
  
• Article I, Section HI, Declaration of Rights
  "That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their conscience."
  [Note: the reference is not just "God," but "Almighty God"]
  

• ARTICLE IX - Disqualifications, Section 2
  "No person who denies the being of God, or a future state of rewards and punishments, shall hold any office in the civil department of this state."

Texas (1845) says in its Preamble:

• "Humbly invoking the blessings of Almighty God, the People of the State of Texas do ordain and establish this Constitution."

Utah (1896) says in its Preamble:

• "Grateful to Almighty God for life and liberty, we the people of Utah ... do ordain and establish this Constitution."

Vermont (1777) says:

• Preamble:
  "Whereas all government ought to be instituted ... to enable the individuals who compose it to enjoy their natural rights and other blessings which the Author of Existence has bestowed on man . . ."
  
  
• Article 3rd. 'Freedom in religion; right and duty of religious worship':
  "That all persons have a natural and unalienable right, to worship Almighty God, according to the dictates of their own consciences and understandings, as in their opinion shall be regulated by the word of God;... every sect or denomination of Christians ought to observe the sabbath or Lord's day, and keep up some sort of religious worship, which to them shall seem most agreeable to the revealed will of God."

Virginia (1776) says:

• Bill of Rights, XVI:
  "That religion or the duty which we owe our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and, therefore, all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love, and charity towards each other."

Washington (1889) says in its Preamble:

• "We, the people of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this constitution."

West Virginia (1872) says in its Preamble:

• "Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people of West Virginia, in and through the provisions of this Constitution, reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance upon God and seek diligently to promote, preserve and perpetuate good government in the state of West Virginia for the common welfare, freedom and security of ourselves and our posterity."

Wisconsin Constitution (1848) says: Preamble:

• "We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings, form a more perfect government, insure domestic tranquility and promote the general welfare, do establish this constitution."
  
  
• Article I
  "The right of every person to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of conscience shall never be infringed..."
  
  
• Article X
  "...the legislature by law may, for the purpose of religious instruction outside the district schools, authorize the release of students during regular school hours."

Wyoming (1890), says in its Preamble:

• "We, the people of the State of Wyoming, grateful to God for our civil, political and religious liberties, and desiring to secure them to ourselves and perpetuate them to our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution."

Wyoming Constitution - Grateful to God for Liberties

This is the 50th post on the state constitutions. All have shown references to God in one way or the other. This final installment is about the constitution of Wyoming (1890), which says in its Preamble:

"We, the people of the State of Wyoming, grateful to God for our civil, political and religious liberties, and desiring to secure them to ourselves and perpetuate them to our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution."

Read the entire Wyoming constitution

President Nixon 2nd Inaugural - Sustained by Our Faith in God

For Richard Nixon's second Inaugural (1973) his address included the following:

"...the God-given right of every American to full and equal opportunity.
...
"We shall answer to God, to history, and to our conscience for the way in which we use these years.
...
"Today, I ask your prayers that in the years ahead I may have God's help in making decisions that are right for America, and I pray for your help so that together we may be worthy of our challenge.
...
"Let us go forward from here confident in hope, strong in our faith in one another, sustained by our faith in God who created us, and striving always to serve His purpose."

Read the entire address

Wisconsin Constitution - Grateful to Almighty God

The Wisconsin Constitution (1848) says:

Preamable:
"We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings, form a more perfect government, insure domestic tranquility and promote the general welfare, do establish this constitution."

Article I
"The right of every person to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of conscience shall never be infringed..."

Article X
"...the legislature by law may, for the purpose of religious instruction outside the district schools, authorize the release of students during regular school hours."

Read the entire Wisconsin Constitution

President Nixon Inaugural Address- Confidence in the Will of God

The 37th President of the United States was Richard M. Nixon. In his 1969 Inaugural address he said:

"[Discussing FDR] He could say in surveying the Nation's troubles: 'They concern, thank God, only material things. [End of FDR quote]'
...
"What remains is to give life to what is in the law: to ensure at last that as all are born equal in dignity before God, all are born equal in dignity before man.
...
"I have taken an oath today in the presence of God and my countrymen to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States.
...
"Only a few short weeks ago, we shared the glory of man's first sight of the world as God sees it, as a single sphere reflecting light in the darkness. As the Apollo astronauts flew over the moon's gray surface on Christmas Eve, they spoke to us of the beauty of earth—and in that voice so clear across the lunar distance, we heard them invoke God's blessing on its goodness.
...
"...sustained by our confidence in the will of God and the promise of man."

Read the entire address

West Virginia Constitution - Constant Reliance on God

The Constitution of West Virginia (1872) says in its Preamble:

"Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people of West Virginia, in and through the provisions of this Constitution, reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance upon God and seek diligently to promote, preserve and perpetuate good government in the state of West Virginia for the common welfare, freedom and security of ourselves and our posterity."

Read the entire WV Constitution

President Johnson Inaugural Address - Allowed by God to Seek Greatness

Our 36th President was Lyndon B. Johnson. In his 1965 Inaugural address, he said:

"My fellow countrymen, on this occasion, the oath I have taken before you and before God is not mine alone, but ours together.
...
"But we have no promise from God that our greatness will endure. We have been allowed by Him to seek greatness with the sweat of our hands and the strength of our spirit.
...
"...the judgment of God is harshest on those who are most favored."


Read the entire address

JFK's Inaugural Address: Hand of God Gives Us Our Rights

Our 35th President was John F. Kennedy. In his 1961 Inaugural address he said:

"For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forbears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago.
"...the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.
...
"With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own."

Read President Kennedy's entire Inaugural address

Washington State Constitution - Grateful to the Supreme Ruler

The Constitution of the state of Washington (1889) says in its Preamble:

"We, the people of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this constitution."

Read the entire Washington Constitution

President Eisenhower's 2nd Inaugural - Seeks Blessing of Almighty God

President Dwight D. Eisenhower in his second Inaugural address (1957) said:

"Before all else, we seek, upon our common labor as a nation, the blessings of Almighty God. And the hopes in our hearts fashion the deepest prayers of our whole people.

"And so the prayer of our people carries far beyond our own frontiers, to the wide world of our duty and our destiny."

Read Eisenhower's entire address

President Eisenhower's 1st Inaugural - Praying to Almighty God

Our 34th President was Dwight D. Eisenhower. In his first Inaugural address (1954) he made several Godly references:

"My friends, before I begin the expression of those thoughts that I deem appropriate to this moment, would you permit me the privilege of uttering a little private prayer of my own. And I ask that you bow your heads:

"Almighty God, as we stand here at this moment my future associates in the executive branch of government join me in beseeching that Thou will make full and complete our dedication to the service of the people in this throng, and their fellow citizens everywhere.

"Give us, we pray, the power to discern clearly right from wrong, and allow all our words and actions to be governed thereby, and by the laws of this land. Especially we pray that our concern shall be for all the people regardless of station, race, or calling.

"May cooperation be permitted and be the mutual aim of those who, under the concepts of our Constitution, hold to differing political faiths; so that all may work for the good of our beloved country and Thy glory. Amen."
...
"This faith defines our full view of life. It establishes, beyond debate, those gifts of the Creator that are man's inalienable rights, and that make all men equal in His sight.
...
"We are summoned by this honored and historic ceremony to witness more than the act of one citizen swearing his oath of service, in the presence of God. We are called as a people to give testimony in the sight of the world to our faith that the future shall belong to the free.
...
"In our quest of understanding, we beseech God's guidance.
...
"This is the work that awaits us all, to be done with bravery, with charity, and with prayer to Almighty God."

Read Eisenhower's First Inauguaral address