From: jburrill@boi.hp.com (Jim Burrill)
Subject: The Founding of a Great Nation ...
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 18:39:02 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard / Boise, Idaho
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1.8 PL6]


      The United States was founded by Christians, as a Christian Nation
                               Jim Burrill                       
				10/23/92

    History shows us that Pilgrims were in search of Religious Freedom when
they came to the new world. King James was king of England. He is remembered
by many for his commissioning of the translation of the King James Version of
the Bible. Several scholars believe King James led a worldly, if not un-    
Biblical lifestyle. [1] This, in combination with the corruption that was
prevalent in the Church of England at the time, caused the Pilgrims to search
out new places where worship would not be prohibited. For some time, this 
group lived in Holland, however, the moral condition in Holland was not
conducive to Godly living, either. Because of this, these people decided to
make a voyage to the new world to find freedom of religious expression. 
John Robinson led a congregation of such people, among them William
Bradford. (Bradford was later elected Governor of Plymouth Colony). Bradford
coined the term 'Pilgrims' to describe those who would voyage to the new world
aboard ship. Originally, Bradford commisioned two ships to make the voyage,
but only the Mayflower was seaworthy of such a trip. Robinson said "these were
called out of Babylon, and were to come to Jerusalem, there to build the Lord's
temple" [2].  
     Aboard the Mayflower, there was only adequate room for 40 people, and
Robinson felt compelled to stay behind with the remainder of the congregation.
(There were 102 passengers aboard the Mayflower, not all of them were from 
Robinson's Congregation). Upon their leaving, Robinson imparted to them:

"Whereas you are to become a civil body politic, using amongst yourselves civil
government, and are not furnished with any persons of special eminence above 
the rest, to be chosen by you into office of government, let your wisdom and
godliness appear, not only in choosing such persons as do entirely love and
promote the common good, but also in yielding unto them all due honor and 
obedience in their lawful adminstrations." [3]

The men aboard the Mayflower were tested when a storm blew them off course
by some 300 miles North of their original destination. Rebellion ensued, with
men fighting each other, with non-Pilgrim men leading, when they realized that
they were left with no legal jurisdiction. However, the Pilgrims, remembering
the advice of their Pastor, averted disaster with an agreement signed by nearly
all the adult men on board. That agreement was the Mayflower Compact.

"...having undertaken, for the Glory of God and the Advancement of the  
Christian Faith, and the honor of our King and country, a voyage to plant the
first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do .... in the presence of God
and of one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body
politic ...." [4]

This document could hardly be said to establish a secular government.

     Not only were the Colonists Christians, but the founders of the Government
were also Christians. Those men openly proclaimed the fact that the Nation
was founded upon Biblical Foundation.

These Quotations made by our forefathers reinforce that idea:

- Daniel Webster: "Where Christianity, and civilization, and letters made their
first lodgement in a vast extent of country covered with a wilderness and 
peopled by roving barbarians....Our ancestors established their system of 
government on Morality and religious sentiment. Moral habits, they believed,
cannot be trusted on any other foundation than religious principle, nor any
government be secure which is not supported by moral habits. Living under the
heavenly light of revelation, they hoped to find all the social dispositions,
all the duties which men owe to each other and to society, enforced and 
performed. Whatever makes men good Christians, makes them good citizens"[5]
     
- Patrick Henry ("Give me liberty or give me death"): "It cannot be emphasized
too strongly or too often, that this great nation was founded not by religion-
ists, but by Christians, not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
For this very reason people have been afforded the assylum, prosperity, and 
freedom to worship here."[6]

- John Adams: "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and righteous people.
It is wholly inadequte for the government of any other" [7]

- Ben Franklin: "And have we forgotten that powerful friend? or do we imagine
that we no longer need his assistance? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and
the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: that God
governs 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 builds 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"[8]

By way of observation, Franklin has been said to be a deist by many. This
quote comes from the consitutional convention of 1787, where the men had gone
five weeks with almost no progress. Franklin delivered this speech as an
inspiration to the men to perhaps include prayer in their agenda. This is
said to be the most famous speech of that convention.

- John Jay (First Supreme Court Justice): "Providence has given to our people
the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the priveledge and 
interest, of a Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for its       
rulers."[9]

- John Quincy Adams: "The highest glory of the American Revolution was this:
that it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of Christianity with
the principles of Civil Government" [10]

- George Washington: "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. The mere politician, equally the pious man, ought to respect and
cherish them. A volume could not trace all the connections with private and
public felicity. Let it simply be asked where is the security for property, for
reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths,
which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? And let us
with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without
religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality
can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."[11]
"It is impossible to govern rightly without God and the Bible"[12]

I submit to you, based on these quotes, and the history of the Pilgrims, that
the United States indeed was founded as a Christian Nation. I know many popular
beliefs and authorities give the picture of many of our forefathers either 
suscribing to the atheist or deist philosophies. As a reference, one could use
the book by John Eidsmoe, "CHRISTIANITY AND THE CONSTITUTION"  which presents
these beliefs as unfounded and unwarranted. I submit to you by this then, 
that something has changed the course of this nation to be something other
than what the founding fathers' had in mind. This is something to ponder at 
election time. Do we as a nation, desire to return to the blessing that we
experienced before the time that we chose to ignore Christian Principles?



FOOTNOTES


[1] Benjamin Hart, FAITH AND FREEDOM (Dallas:Lewis and Stanley Pub., 1988)p67
[2] Hart, p71-72
[3] Hart, p73-74
[4] Hart, p75
[5] Quoted from excerpts from "A Discourse at Plymouth on 22 December 1820
    by Daniel Webster", Vol. 1, The Works of Daniel Webster
[6] Steven C. Dawson, GOD"S PROVIDENCE in AMERICA'S HISTORY p96
[7] THE NAKED SQUARE, Richard John Niehaus p95
[8] Hart, p324
[9] "Correspondence and Papers of John Jay" Vol 4,Henry P. Johnston editor
 orig. published 1890, republished 1970,p393
[10] BIBLICAL PRINCIPALS OF IMPORTANCE TO GODLY CHRISTIANS ,Russ Walton, 
 Plymouth Rock Foundation, pp353,363
[11 and 12] "George Washington, Farewell Address" Sept. 17, 1796; Quoted
by Johnson, GEORGE WASHINGTON THE CHRISTIAN,pp217,218