Separation of Church and State? Not Originally!

Over the past 60 years, American culture has slowly abandoned it’s Judeo-Christian moorings and became more secular. But it wasn’t always that way. In fact, for nearly two centuries, America was a proud and self-confessed political “Christian nation.”

Joseph Story was a U.S. Supreme Court justice who served between 1812 and 1845. He wrote the original commentary on the U.S. Constitution. In the section on the First Amendment, Story confirmed this “Christian nation” politic:

 

Now there will probably be found few persons in this or any other Christian country, who would deliberately contend that it was unreasonable, or unjust to foster and encourage the Christian religion generally, as a matter of sound policy, as well as of revealed truth.

In fact, every American colony, from its foundation down to the Revolution, with the exception of Rhode Island, (if, indeed, that state be an exception,) did openly by the whole course of its laws and institutions, support and sustain in some form the Christian religion; and almost invariably gave a peculiar sanction to some form of its fundamental doctrines.

And this has continued to be the case in some of the states down to the present period, without the slightest suspicion that it was against the principles of public law or republican liberty.[1]

 

Flipping the Script? Impossible!

In this single statement, Justice Story flipped the script on the popular modern notion that America was founded as a secular nation. In fact, it wasn’t even possible. For 185 years, ever since the Declaration of Independence in 1776, America had been overwhelmingly a Christian nation by profession.

America’s Christian preference was documented through historical court cases, edicts, sermons, books, diaries, journals, last wills and testaments, statues, paintings, monuments, and many other references. Photography further showed Americans at churches, usually packed. After major tragedies, Americans attended church. To seek God’s protection and provision, Americans went to church. Many American “holy” days (holidays) were rooted to religion, from St. Valentine’s to St. Patrick’s to Thanksgiving.

 

A “Christian” America was a Blessing

In 1831 a French philosopher and historian named Alexis de Tocqueville traveled to America to study why it was so successful as a young nation…and immediately identified its Christianity as the source of its political and social liberty.

In the 1800s, Christianity led the way to abolish slavery, give blacks, Indians and women voting rights, educate children, build hospitals, house the homeless, feed the poor, liberate nations and rebuild countries after catastrophes.

The YMCA? Young Men’s Christian Association. The Salvation Army? A Christian organization. Compassion International? Again, Christian. Has there been any other religion that’s done as much good for a society or culture than Christianity? It’s easy to pick on the mistakes, foolishness and bad found inside of a Christian culture, but they pale in comparison to the successes, wisdom and good its produced.

America is an “idea.” Liberty. Equality. Justice. Where did these ideas come from? Jesus and Christianity. It’s why our Christian Founders relied on their faith to guide the framing of a new nation.

Consequently, there’s never been a time in America’s history when our population didn’t identify as Christian. For most of America’s history it’s been an overwhelming majority. However, since the 1950s, there has been a decline. The good news? Even in today’s “post-Christian” America, two out of three Americans continue to prefer and profess Christianity (according to Gallup polling).

 

The Decline of American Christianity

Nevertheless, the decline in American Christianity since 1960 has been significant [2]:

1961:   93% of Americans identified as Christians (Protestants [70%], Catholics [23%], while 2% were Jewish, 2% were other (Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim), 2% were “none” (agnostic/atheist) and 1% no answer.

1981:   87% of Americans identified as Christians (Protestants [59%], Catholics [28%], while 2% were Jewish, 4% were other (Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim), 7% were “none” (agnostic/atheist) and 1% no answer.

1991:   81% of Americans identified as Christians (Protestants [56%], Catholics [25%], while 2% were Jewish, 5% were other (Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim), 9% were “none” (agnostic/atheist) and 2% no answer.

2001:   82% of Americans identified as Christians (Protestants [53%], Christian-Non-Specific [4%], Catholics [25%], while 2% were Jewish, 4% were other (Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim), 8% were “none” (agnostic/atheist) and 2% no answer.

2013:   72% of Americans identified as Christians (Protestants [38%], Christian-Non-Specific [10%], Catholics [24%], while 2% were Jewish, 5% were other (Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim), 15% were “none” (agnostic/atheist) and 4% no answer.

2023:   66% Americans identified as Christians (Protestants [33%], Christian-Non-Specific [11%], Catholics [22%], while 2% were Jewish, 6% were other (Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim), 22% were “none” (agnostic/atheist) and 3% no answer.

 

Why did Christianity Decline in America?

What changed in America? When did the decline begin?

Clearly, the decline began in the 1960s, as the Baby Boom generation came of age. This post-WW2 generation suckled on affluence. In the 1940s, America rediscovered life after war, building new suburbs, buying new cars and exploring new lifestyles. Rising incomes allowed people to purchase pleasure. In the 1950s, these “Leave it to Beaver” families embraced travel (from National Parks to Disneyland) and new weekend toys like motorboats, campers and motorcycles. With each new pleasure, God and church was pushed more to the side.

A new technology named television brought the world (and its influences) directly into the home. Rock and roll music reimagined the Top 40. Elvis. Chuck. Buddy. Meanwhile, a new type of magazine arrived called Playboy. During the 1950’s, America began to lose her innocence.

In the 1960s, the Mickey Mouse boomers were now teens and college kids. They left their white picket fences for universities to learn that their parent’s lives were a lie…just a suburban Disneyland. The answer was to “tune in, turn on, and drop out” via drugs, sex and rock ‘n roll. The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan preached how the “times were a’changin’.” One of those changes were the atheists. Largely quiet during the “One Nation Under God” campaigns of 1950s Eisenhower’s America, these secularists were tired of God in America and decided to do something about it.

 

The Moment it All Changed

The secularist’s disdain is reflected in two landmark Supreme Court decisions to eliminate Christianity from public schools in 1962 (prayer) and 1963 (Bible reading).  In the years following, secularists used these rogue decisions to dismantle Christianity in America’s public squares and remove religion from our nation’s political/ social institutions. Hollywood, television and pop media were certainly a contributing factor. Whereas Christian behaviors and faith were positively portrayed in pre-1970s media (television, movies, music), in the decades that followed the church and Christianity were lampooned, mocked, criticized and censored.

For example, in the 1950s and early 1960s, Hollywood delivered religious film classics like Ben Hur (1959), King of Kings (1961), The Robe (1953) and The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965). But not many years after, released Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979), Judas (2004) and The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), films that ranged from slapstick mockery to blatant heresy.

After 1962’s S.C.O.T.U.S. decision to remove prayer from public schools, secularists (who composed less than 2% of the American public) systematically dismantled Christian images, traditions, monuments and holidays, most notably Christmas, via the judicial system using a single phrase “separation of church and state.”

A phrase not even in the U.S. Constitution or the First Amendment.

Reread Joseph Story’s quote. It also reveals how modern America has reinterpreted and misapplied the “separation of church and state” doctrine. In fact, nearly all the decisions in the past 60 years, including the removal of prayer in schools, rest on a highly questionable opinion in 1947 Supreme Court case (Everson v. Board of Education). In other words, reinterpretation and misapplication of this “separation” idea, depending on your view, has either destroyed “Christian America” or righted the true Founding Father desire for Constitutional law.

The First Amendment stated Congress could make no law, but our Founders never imagined our Christian national identity would be erased by her Judiciary branch (who, constitutionally, had no power to make or enforce law, only interpret and give opinions).

 

“The Separation of Church From State?”

Historically, the 15th century phrase–“the separation of church and state”–was coined by clergy whose churches were oppressed and persecuted by European state churches. These clerics certainly meant the “separation of Church FROM State.” After all, no one in Europe or America viewed this idea as meaning to create a completely secular state (until the 1800s).

The truth is America was founded by Christian colonists (i.e., Pilgrims, Puritans) who created Christian colonies, using biblical principles and values for their institutions and laws. These colonies eventually reconstituted as Christian states (many identifying through a “state” religion).

Thanks to the First Great Awakening (1730-1770) that grooved the Founding generation and the Second Great Awakening (1790-1840), an American “Christian” republic was born.

Many secular historians would vehemently disagree with this conclusion, but the evidence is overwhelming through the writings and speeches of the Founding Fathers, themselves.

 

The Testimony of our Founding Fathers

Very few Americans have read these writings or messages. It’s why I have include the documentation (endnotes). Many of these books are available today for free download at Google Books:

 

JOHN ADAMS:

“The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.”[3]

 

BENJAMIN RUSH:

“I do not believe that the Constitution was the offspring of [Divine] inspiration, but I am as satisfied that it is as much the work of a Divine providence as any of the miracles recorded in the Old and New Testament.”[4]

 

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS:

“In the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior. The Declaration of Independence laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity.“[5]

 

JOHN JAY:

“Providence 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.”[6]

 

GOUVERNEUR MORRIS:

“There must be religion. When that ligament is torn, society is disjointed and its members perish… The most important of all lessons is the denunciation of ruin to every state that rejects the precepts of religion.”[7]

 

JAMES McHENRY:

“Public utility pleads most forcibly for the general distribution of the Holy Scriptures. Without the Bible, in vain do we increase penal laws and draw entrenchments around our institutions.”[8]

 

JOHN WITHERSPOON:

“He is the best friend to American liberty who is the most sincere and active in promoting true and undefiled religion, and who sets himself with the greatest firmness to bear down profanity and immorality of every kind. Whoever is an avowed enemy of God, I scruple not to call him an enemy of this country.”[9]

 

JEDIDIAH MORSE:

“To the kindly influence of Christianity we owe that degree of civil freedom and political and social happiness which mankind now enjoys. All efforts made to destroy the foundations of our holy religion ultimately tend to the subversion also of our political freedom and happiness.”[10]

 

NOAH WEBSTER:

“The religion which has introduced civil liberty is the religion of Christ and His apostles… This is genuine Christianity and to this we owe our free constitutions of government.”[11]

 

The Conclusion of a House Judiciary Committee (1854)

Finally, in 1854 a U.S. House Judiciary Committee concluded, after a long investigation into America’s historical documents:

“Had the people, during the Revolution, had a suspicion of any attempt to war against Christianity, that Revolution would have been strangled in its cradle… In this age, there can be no substitute for Christianity… That was the religion of the founders of the republic and they expected it to remain the religion of the descendants.”[12]

 

The French philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville reportedly stated after his visit to America that “as long as America is good, America will be great. However, when America ceases to be good, she’ll surely cease to be great.”

Even if the great philosopher never said it, it sounds like something he would say. And it reflects the type of Americans that he engaged on their trip.

Essentially, the greatness of America is intrinsically bound (by blessing) to our goodness before God.

It’s something to think about…whether that Truth sings or stings.

 

SOURCES:

[1] Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States by Joseph Story, Vol 2 (Boston: Charles C. Little and James Brown, 1851), 592. Available for download at Google Books.

[2] The Gallup organization has consistently given the best look at American religion since 1948 through an annual poll. Gallup asked for “religious preference” and the general choices of Protestant, Christian (nonspecific), Catholic, Jewish, Mormon, Other, None, No Answer.  https://news.gallup.com/poll/1690/religion.aspx

[3] John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, June 28, 1813, The Writings of Thomas Jefferson (Washington D. C.: The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Association, 1904), XIII:292-294.

[4] Benjamin Rush to Elias Boudinot, July 9, 1788, Letters of Benjamin Rush, ed. L. H. Butterfield (Princeton, New Jersey: American Philosophical Society, 1951), I:475.

[5] John Quincy Adams, An Oration Delivered Before the Inhabitants of the Town of Newburyport at Their Request on the Sixty-First Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1837 (Newburyport: Charles Whipple, 1837), 5-6.

[6] William Jay, Life of John Jay, (New York: J&J Harper, 1833), II:376, John Jay to John Murray Jr., October 12, 1816.

[7] “An Inaugural Discourse Delivered Before the New York Historical Society by the Honorable Gouverneur Morris, (President,) 4th September, 1816,” Collections of the New York Historical Society for the Year 1821 (New York: E. Bliss and E. White, 1821), 32, 34.

[8] Bernard C. Steiner, One Hundred and Ten Years of Bible Society Work in Maryland, 1810-1920 (Maryland Bible Society, 1921), 14.

[9] John Witherspoon, The Works of the Reverend John Witherspoon (Philadelphia: William W. Woodward, 1802), III:42.

[10] Jedidiah Morse, A Sermon, Exhibiting the Present Dangers and Consequent Duties of the Citizens of the United States of America, Delivered at Charlestown, April 25, 1799, The Day of the National Fast (MA: Printed by Samuel Etheridge, 1799), 9.

[11] Noah Webster, History of the United States (New Haven: Durrie and Peck, 1832), 300, 578.

[12] Reports of Committees of the House of Representatives Made During the First Session of the Thirty-Third Congress (Washington: A. O. P. Nicholson, 1854), 6-9.