Founding Fathers view on Religious Freedom

Of primary importance to the Founding Fathers was their belief that all religions should be protected by law whether Christian or non-Christian.  This is the first time that this premise of religious equality had been protected by law, a legal charter or constitution.  The Founding Fathers felt that religious freedom was paramount to the functioning of a moral free society.

Early Americans entwined views of liberty along with religious beliefs that one could not separate from the other.  Religion was essential part of everyday life in the newly formed United States.  Though the Founding Fathers felt it was important to separate church and state it was essential that religious morals prevailed in all government dealings. 

George Washington believed that religion and morality were the pillars of society and provided the greatest possibility for human happiness.  The Founders believed, because of man’s disposition and habits, that religion and morality were essential elements of political prosperity. 

Universal Fundamentals

As important as religion was to the early Americans it was important that no religion infringe on an individual’s beliefs or tenets.  Standards were established based on fundamental religious beliefs and these standards were taught in the schools. 

The Founding Fathers were adamant that there be a separation of church and state, but not religion and state.  Youth as well as government leaders should live by a moral code.

Schools taught recognition of a Creator who had revealed a moral code for happiness which helped men understand right from wrong.  Schools also taught that we would be held accountable for the way we treated one another and that in the next life we would be judged according to the decisions we made. 

School instruction was limited to the universal fundamentals so as to not have an outside political body instruct religious tenets.  The schools were to teach the youth the basic beliefs which united everyone. 

Religious Test for Government Service

The Founding Fathers felt that anyone holding a government position should possess the highest qualities of moral character.  However, the Founders as avid students of history knew the problems created by requiring religious tests for members of government. 

It was felt that religious tests for government service would give the Federal government too much control over who could or could not serve in government.  It was essential that members of all religions be eligible to hold a public office in the government. 

All Freedom Central to Religious Freedom

The Founding Fathers believed that religious freedom was essential if men were to enjoy any other freedom. This is because our rights come from God. These rights are referred to as unalienable rights in the Declaration of Independence, the right to life, the right to liberty, and the right to pursue a course in life that will bring happiness. If these rights are violated the offender will come under the judgment of God.

The right to religious freedom is also an unalienable right. In fact, the Supreme Court has stated numerous times that freedom of religion is the most precious unalienable rights next to life itself.  Religious faith and living by moral values is the best way to protect our freedom and security.

The Founding Fathers Constitution

The Founding Fathers of the United States were directed as well as inspired by God in the creation and writing of the United States Constitution.  Over the 220 plus years that the constitution has existed the constitution has undergone many changes.  To distinguish the original constitution from the constitution that the United States is governed by today we will call the original document the Founding Fathers Constitution.

The U. S. Founding Fathers were provided with a unique perspective that few people in history have experienced firsthand that is living under both extremes of government rule.  The authority of a tyrannical government as well as living under an ineffectual government charter with insufficient powers to govern. 

Initially life under the King George III of England was acceptable.  In fact, most of the people enjoyed life under the authority of the King of England.  As time passed grievances arose that the King was unable or unwilling to address.  The King’s unwillingness to correct the problems encountered by the colonists mounted till corrections had to be made.  The King refusing to address the problems worsened the situation for the colonists by adding additional laws, tariffs and taxes onto the backs of the colonists. 

A once loved King George III became a tyrannical leader.  The U. S. Founding Fathers attempted to redress the situation through every legal avenue they had available.  This eventually led to a hardening of positions on both sides which in turn led to the Revolutionary War.

Life under an Ineffective Government Charter

The colonies after cutting ties with England established a charter the Articles of Confederation to administer the duties, obligations of the thirteen colonies as well as conducting the war.  The Articles of Confederation were found to be ineffective not providing sufficient authority to the central government. 

The Articles of Confederation were dependent upon the colonies relinquishing authority over their territory.  The colonists as well as their colonial governments were unwilling to give the central government sufficient authority to effectively govern the thirteen colonies.   In spite of these deficiencies the Colonists were able to win the Revolutionary War.   George Washington credited the colonies performance in the war to acts of Providence.

The colonists lived several years under the limited authority of the central government governing using the Articles of Confederation charter.  This allowed the colonists to understand the disadvantages of life under a government that did not possess sufficient authority to effectively rule.  Living under these two extremes the Founding Fathers knew the disadvantages of both governmental entities.  The Founding Fathers historical experience allowed them to create a comprehensive document designed to protect the rights of the people.

The Founding Father’s Constitution

Life under the rule of the King taught the colonists to fear absolute control.  Whereas life under the charter of the Articles of Confederation taught the Founders that a central government must have certain powers and authority to be able to govern properly.  Faced with these two opposing positions the U. S. Founding Fathers undertook the creation of the United States Constitution.

Checks and Balances

The Founders were fearful that a central government over time would increase its authority and control over the people established sets of checks and balances to limit the ability of the central government to morph into a tyrannical government without the approval of the States and the people.  To protect the rights and freedom of the people checks and balances were established.

Thomas Jefferson believed that the government at the State level, being closer to the people, would provide the people with greater representation.  By balancing the authority of the national government with the combined powers of the States the powers of the national government are limited.  In this manner the powers of the Federal government are balanced between the States and the Federal or central government. 

Though the power of the Federal government was now balanced the Founding Fathers were still fearful that the central government could still develop into a tyrannical government body.   Further checks were established to limit and restrict the ability of the central government from acquiring additional authority and power over the people. 

Among the checks three entities of the national government established branches with specific duties and responsibilities.  Each branch had VETO authority over the other branches.  The bi-camel congress was given separate distinct responsibilities.  A bi-camel congress was established to represent their segment of the controlling government bodies.  The Senate was to defend the State’s rights whereas the House of Representatives were to represent the people.  It is this VETO authority that provides the checks to an out-of-control Federal government.

States Rights

The Federal government’s authority and powers are derived directly from the States.  The States were placed between the Federal government and the people.  In this way the States are a “Wall of Political Protection” protecting the rights and freedom of the people.  To accomplish this control authority the States were provided with Senators that would be under direct control of their State legislature. 

The U. S. Senators were to report directly to their State legislature to determine the response the Senators should or should not take at the Federal level of government.  The U. S. Senators were appointed by their States legislature.  The Senators were subject to the dictates of their particular State’s legislature.  In this way the States could protect the States authority as well as protect the freedom of its citizenry from infringing power of the Federal government. 

The House of Representatives was established to represent and protect the people of their state.  The House Representatives were elected by their state’s registered voters.  The House Representatives served subject to the dictates of the people.

Founding Fathers

The Founding Fathers established the separation of powers along with the redundancy of checks and balances so that the unalienable rights and freedom of the people could be adequately protected.  The Founders were so fearful of the possibility that the central government would morph over time to become tyrannical that the Bill of Rights was added to the Founding Fathers constitution. 

The Bill of Rights established the specific restrictions dictating the limits that were to be placed on the Federal government.  It was only with the addition of the Bill of Rights to the constitution that all the Founders got on board willing to accept the Founding Fathers constitution as the official governing document.  The Founders constitution was completed in 1787 and enacted in into the law of the land in 1789.

Free Market Economics

Long before Karl Marx the American Pilgrims experimented with socialistic practices in the hopes of creating a fair just society.  The pilgrim settlers had contracted with their merchant-sponsors in London for their passage and supplies to the new world.   The pilgrim’s had established the socialistic program that was initially followed only to be replaced by a free market economics system after the first year.

For the Full Story

Experiment with Socialism

The contract they obligated themselves to in London required products of their labors to be shared equally among everyone in the community.  Their first year in the New World was difficult nearly half of the pilgrims died of sickness, exposure to the elements or starvation. 

The following spring the native Indians taught the pilgrims how to farm, fish and hunt.  With this newfound knowledge the lives of the pilgrims improved however they were still unable to prosper at their new venture of life in America. 

The pilgrim’s contract with their merchant sponsor called for everything to be held by the entire community.  The community proceeds were to be distributed equally among the community members.  No one in the community owned anything.  The initial pilgrim settlement was established as a commune. 

The pilgrims understanding their survival needs for the second winter in this new wilderness devoted only the labors that were required of them.  Their newly acquired knowledge and skills helped them to survive but not prosper.   The community members were not willing to labor for another man’s benefit.

The pilgrims led by William Bradford decided to scrap the social experiment established in their original contract with a system that rewarded individual industriousness and creativity.  The surviving pilgrims were allowed to own property along with enjoying the benefits of their labors.  The pilgrim colony then began to flourish.  The community was able to repay their sponsors in London.  The pilgrims had discovered that free market economics which rewards personal efforts works benefiting everyone in the community. 

Free Market Economics Results in Wealth for the Poor Upward Mobility

For free market economics to function property ownership must be recognized.  Allowing people to benefit from their own labor creates incentives producing overall economic development.  Over the last 100 years free market economics has been instrumental in reducing poverty along with increasing life expectancy than man had experienced in the previous 5,000 years.  Though these benefits have been real we have not had a totally free market economics system to fully function as government has been allowed to encroach on man’s unalienable rights and freedom.

The United States Constitution was established to protect the rights and freedom of its citizens.  Protection of the unalienable rights and freedom has allowed the free market economics system to not only benefit the citizens of the United States but the population of the entire world.  It was the guarantee of freedom provided by the Founding Fathers Constitution that has unleashed this creativity and development world-wide.   Men will put forth labor when they know that labor expended will go for their benefit.

Centralized Planning

Under a centralized economic system such as socialism there is a person or committee that must decide the number of items that are produced for the societies benefit.  How is that decision made?  From where is the data procured that goes into making the decision as to the number of units that is necessary to fulfill the requirements of the overall group? 

There is no source where this information can be found as society is in a continual change.  Therefore the decisions made at the central planning level are always incorrect.  There are either too many products produced or there are too few. 

If you were a government employee with the job of deciding how many products were to be produced which option would you choose; producing too many or too few.  Under socialism or a centralized planning model there are always too few products produced for the masses as it is safer to have a demand for more than to have produced too much.

Allowing People to Decide or Decentralized Planning

Under free market economics system the people are free to make the decision as to the numbers of a product that are necessary from one day to the next.  If the supply of a product is insufficient the price of that product increases.  An increase in price invites more people to produce. 

When the supply of a product is greater than the demand for that product the price of the product decreases.  The consuming public makes the decision on a day to day basis as to the number of units that are necessary to fulfill the demands. 

The price system under free market economics determines the overall numbers of products that are available for the consumer.  The people decide what products will or will not be produced and in what quantities the products will be produced. 

Free market economics is the door to creating wealth for the poor.  The price system of a free market allows consumers to determine the use of resources.  The “price system” determines what people can afford, what sells, what gets manufactured.

Our Founding Fathers Constitution

In 1789 a constitution was enacted that guaranteed the rights and freedom of the people would be protected from government tyranny.  This act along with the freedoms to try, to fail, to succeed, including the freedom to possess the benefits of one’s own labor opened up the flood gates for development in the United States and the world.  The enactment of the U. S. Constitution was the first time in the history of man that all the principles of freedom were made available at one time. 

The Majesty of God’s Law

The Majesty of God’s Law was researched and written by W. Cleon Skousen.  Once again Cleon Skousen is able to take a complex subject making it easy to understand.  This treatise focuses on the Founding Fathers of the United States Constitution their writings about the research into determining what form of government would best meet the needs of a free people.  Dr. Skousen delves into the principles the Founders discovered that are encased within the constitution.

The Majesty of God’s Law uses the historical events around the Founder’s exploration for a suitable government as a backdrop to fully analyze the principles of good government.  The Founders search for an acceptable government model to emulate included the Bible, Greek, Roman as well as Anglo-Saxon writings and history.  Though the book is historical its primary focus is the principles that guarantee our freedom.

The book is well researched easy to follow and understand.  The Majesty of God’s Law provides an understanding of the principles that foster and support freedom.  This book is a must read for anyone seeking to fully understand freedom along with the safe guards that a government constitutional document must contain in order for the citizenry to maintain freedom.

A Constitution under Attack

From its enactment in 1789 the United States Constitution has been under attack.  Benjamin Franklin after the constitution had been written was asked by a woman stating “Sir, What have you given us”.  Benjamin Franklin replied “a Republic, Madam, if you can keep it.”  That original constitution lasted a mere thirty years before alterations were made.

Dr. Skousen details the events and circumstances that have eroded our original constitution.  Our political party system is NOT part of our original governing constitutional document.  The first president of the United States George Washington was not a member of a political party. 

The Founders saw definite negative consequences from an establishment of political parties.  A mere thirty years later the two political party system was introduced into our governmental operations.  Changes or modifications to the constitution have continued to erode the freedoms contained within the original constitutional document. 

Central Bank

Dr. Skousen uses the historical interactions between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton to discuss the principles of a free market money system as well as the threat to the preservation of our freedoms.  Alexander Hamilton was a fervent supporter of a central bank where as Thomas Jefferson was adamantly against any type of a central bank.  George Washington was fearful of national debt and sided with Hamilton.  Cleon Skousen uses this historical event to critic the dangers of a central bank to maintaining the freedoms of the people. 

Unalienable Rights

The Founding Fathers believed that our freedoms are God given.  Historically governments prior to the enactment of the U. S. Constitution did not adequately protect the unalienable rights of the people.  The U. S. Constitution was designed to limit government protecting the freedom of the people from government oppression.

The Majesty of God’s Law

Though “The Majesty of God’s Law” is an easy read, it is not a book you should rush through.  The principles and concepts presented by Dr. Skousen require thought along with personal analysis.  We highly recommend this book as you continue your education in understanding the U. S. Constitution.