In asking, where does the Bible belong in our nation, it is necessary to go back into the history of America. This requires us to ask two more questions: 1) what did our “founding fathers” think of the Bible, and 2) what was their thinking regarding the Bible? It may be necessary to ask more questions as we proceed in our study of, where does the Bible belong in our nation?
First, what was the thinking of the “founding fathers” as to the Bible? Before even getting to our first question, it would be good if we knew a little more about their religious thinking. Let us start with George Washington. He was baptized, but more than likely this means he was sprinkled as an infant! Therefore, he was not baptized at all, as sprinkling is not baptism as the New Testament writers use the Greek word, baptizo, which means to immerse, to submerge (Thayer). Nevertheless, he was a member of the Anglican Church (the Church of England) but due to the fact, that the clergy had to swear an Oath of Supremacy to the Monarch, the King of England, the American churches established the Episcopal Church after the American Revolution. Washington was a member of the “Vestry,” which means, that he was a member of the “lay council.” All of this means that Washington was a religious man. He was also a member of the “House of Burgesses,” (Which would be another study altogether but an interesting one.) “His 1796 Farewell Address, written by Alexander Hamilton and revised by himself, said that it was unrealistic to expect that a whole nation, whatever might be said of minds of peculiar structure, could long be moral without religion, that national morality is necessary for good government, and that politicians should cherish religion’s support of national morality: Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports.” All this simply means is that Washington was a very religious man and regarded the Bible as the place to find the moral disposition that would keep America strong!
Do you know when “swearing on the Bible” started? Well, it started with our first President; that’s right, it started with George Washington! Here is what “swearing with hand on the Bible meant at this time, according to one writer: “Swearing on the Bible, especially back in Washington’s day, was seen as basically promising God you would do what you swear to do, with fear of God punishing you keeping you from breaking your oath.” (TruthFinder). Whoever wrote this, sure did understand the meaning of “swearing with hand on the Bible!” Here is a quote from Washington on the importance of the Bible and our nation: “It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.” (Just a note, sometimes a quote is given which is attributed to a person but is questioned, did the person who is said to have uttered the words, really say it? This is certainly true of things credited to George Washington; therefore, the reader is here warned of this possibility. Nevertheless, the quotation assigned to Washington is believed to be his.) However, just to support the idea of this article, President Abraham Lincoln said: “In regard to this great Book, I have but to say it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this Book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man’s welfare, here and hereafter, are found portrayed in it.”
Was America morally better in her early years, or is America morally superior now? How do we answer such a question? We do so by asking more questions! Each question would be answered in the negative by the more liberal of today. But this only goes to show that we are less moral today than in the earlier years. Question: 1) Did mothers fight for the right to put their own child to death then or now? First, and this might surprise you, the Judiciary Act of 1789 was passed by Congress and signed by President George Washington, establishing the Supreme Court of the United States as a tribunal and was made up of six justices who were to serve on the court until death or retirement! The first decision of the Court was as follows: “West v Barnes, this case was on August 2, 1791 and the decision was made on August 3, 1791.” However, the right for mothers to have their unborn child put to death was issued by the Supreme Court on January 22, 1973, with a 7 to 2 majority vote in favor of the right of a mother to have her unborn child put to death, and abortions became the law of the land. There have been 50 million babies aborted chemically since 1973 in the USA: http://www.pfli.org/ Are we better now or were we a better nation then?
If we regard life as God does, we will answer the last question, were we better “then” or now in the negative! Any nation is better when it allows the word of God to set the moral standard! The words of the “wise man” will reveal this truth: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Pro. 14:12)!
Frank R. Williams