A few things are missing from your column. "In God We Trust" did not even appear on U.S. currency until the 1860s and most people see some of their money every day. It was not adopted as a national motto until 1956. I can't prove it but my theory is that the chiseling of those words in the halls of Congress appeared around the same time. It should not be conflated as to be synonymous with the founding of the country as that isn't historically accurate.

The reason we have a generation of fools who believe that ACLU version of "separation of church and state" is a Constitutional principle is because we have activist judges who exceed their role and make it so. The rest is history.

What you won't HEAR at the State of the Union:

We are bankrupt, the largest debtor nation in the world in history.

We are continuing to print money out of thin air to inflate the monetary supply to remove the US dollar as the world's reserve currency and bring down the economy to third world status.

We have nationalized whole industries.

We have confiscated or shut down most of the means of producing wealth in America.

We have virtually shut down energy production in the US so as to ensure we stay totally dependent upon our enemies for our heat, fuel, and transportation.

We have overseen the transfer of tens of millions of US jobs to foreigners, many of which are communist.

We have confiscated millions of acres of US land for government use.

We are drastically reducing our national defense posture in both strategic and tactical capability.

We have been overrun by illegal aliens, allowing large sections of the southwest to be taken over by drug dealers, murderers, and slave traders.

We are working to install sharia law into US courts.

We are pressuring Israel into total submission to their enemies in the middle-east so as to bring the peace of a final solution.

We are pursuing several UN agendas to subjugate you, the American public, to a one-world government.

We are preparing to trade carbon credits because CO2 is now a pollutant so as to loot another trillion or two dollars from your pockets.

We are almost there.

Give me four more years to complete this mission.

Here's one thing I won't be seeing at the State of the Union Address - The State of the Union Address.

In God we trust, in the media we don't.

Hugh

Read the writings of the founding fathers. You may not actually read the words" In God we Trust", but trying to convince anyone that the founders didn't trust in God is a fools errand.

As a history and political science major I would like to point out, just as Hugh did, the belief that this nation was founded on one God is far from true.

I won't repeat the point Hugh already made, so here are some others:

1776, Thomas Paine "The Father of the American Revolution" ( a self proclaimed Atheist in youth and a deist as an adult) wrote "Common Sense" the first work to openly ask for independence from Great Britain. This pamphlet inspired the common people to begin the American Revolution. The Age Of Reason is an excellent reference regarding his beliefs. Those who choose to refer to quotes from "The Existence of God--1810" in an attempt to prove Paine was a Christian, must have forgotten Thomas Paine died in 1809 and had not written nor published any works since "An Essay on the Origin of Free-Masonry" (1803-1805).

General George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Ben Franklin considered themselves Deist. As did many of the founding fathers despite being members of Episcopal churches.

John Hancock was a Congregationalist during the time the majority of members beliefs were based upon Unitarian theology.

1892 a socialist (Francis Bellamy) wrote the pledge of Allegiance. The words "under God" were added in 1954.

One should question why the Constitution, from the preamble through The Bill of Rights, only addresses religion in the first amendment along with all the other 'freedoms'.

Or why the use of "they are endowed by their Creator" in the declaration of independence vs 'they are endowed by God'.

As a Christian and citizen I find separation of Church and state (including all laws, amendments, and use of God in any government business) not only necessary but to not keep them separate has proven throughout our history to be dangerous.

It must be very painfull for the President indeed to deliver this speech. First, he views himself to be so far superior in intellect as those he's speaking to, we can't possibly begin to approach his level of intellect. Second, the President believes that it is he who we should trust, not God. Third, the Ten Commandments may be the only document he detests more than the Constitution.

Easy enough to search on Google. In God We Trust was ordered to be inscribed above the dais in 1956 by then President Eisenhower. Better late than never!

Surely, Fox News would show the entire scene if we asked them to. Aren't they supposed to be Conservative news?

The separation of church and state lie, that you mention, is so pervasive! I doubt any public school teaches the truth that the Constitution only prescribes that Govt cannot respect, or endorse, any particular religion over another. Further, I doubt that public schools are mentioning the Constitution!

In the Declaration of Independence, drafted largely by Thomas Jefferson and dated July 4, 1776, references are made to God, our Creator and the Supreme Judge of the world. Our Constitution was signed "on the seventh day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven. The United States was then and is now a Christian nation.

That "In God We Trust" will not televised is as it should be. With the ratification of the Constitution (particularly Amendment 1 and its "freedom of religion" provision), Christian America ceased to exist and a Judeo-Christian America commenced. It didn't take long until America became completely polytheistic - one nation under many gods in violation of the First Commandment "Thou shalt have no other gods besides Me [Yahweh]."

For more, see "Amendment 1: Government-Sanctioned Polytheism" at http://www.missiontoisrael.org/biblelaw-constitutionalism-pt11.php.

The Founding Fathers were not Deists (read Benjamin Franklin's autobiography). Thomas Jefferson believed in God but not Christ -- he did admire and believe in Christ's teachings, however.

The Founders did not call God "God" because they had far more expansive terms to use, such as "Creator" or "Divine Providence" which reveals attributes of God and a recognition of their understanding of who God is. Most all of the signers were Christians.

There is no such thing as separation of ones religion from his politics for his beliefs are what drive his politics; therefore, there can be no separation of church and state for the state is formed on some belief system.

"A generation of Americans has been raised to regard any mention of God outside the home or church as a violation of the deepest principles of our country."

This is incorrect. We have been raised to believe that government promotion of religion, or a specific religion, whether by law or by ceremony, violates the deepest principles of our country, namely freedom and equality. Those of us who would fight to preserve separation of church and state, also fight for the right of the religious individual citizen to pray or mention god whenever they so please.

Many good comments have been made. To A.D. Roberts, FNC and other Media use pool cameras so they can't control them (As I understand it). The ACLU and other "Separation of Church & State" pundits leave out the clause that says "Or prohibiting the free exercise thereof".

Separation of Church and State will not change until the next Revolution.

Another EXCELLENT column by the unparalleled Dennis Prager.

To Hugh, the commenter: why bring irrelevancies into the matter, by talking about the motto and the currency, when what Mr Prager was talking about is a phrase chiseled into a building? Hugh posits that, although he "can't prove it" he just assumes the phrase was chiseled into the building sometime in the 1950s. He has no reason to assume any such thing.

Particularly since it's not so. The US Capitol Building is just a little bit old than that. Groundbreaking took place in 1793.

But Hugh's comment does illustrate the point of Mr Prager's column. The secular Left is so desperate to shut God out of the public sphere, it will not even bother to look up the construction of the Capitol Building to find out if its unwarranted assumptions bear any resemblance to reality. Reality is not important to Liberals; dogma is.

Truth( How presumptuous of you)

I will not refute your history. It would take too long.You've got the facts to come to your conclusion. Separation of Church and State does not exist in the Constitution. Amendment#1" Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..They won't establish, make a law or prohibit. It could NOT be clearer.

You,Mr. Weiland and Hugh choose to complicate a simple statement. But that is the point isn't? Judges and politicians have been doing that for years.

Unlike many conservatives I applaud the separation of church and state. But unlike liberals I see the goal as protecting religion from government interference.

More and more Christian churches are under threat from state interference. Many on the left look at the property churches are on with greed for the lost tax revenues. If they didn't also use zoning laws to prohibit meetings in homes, perhaps this wouldn't be as important.

Mr. Prager is correct about the threat of liberal interpretations of church and state. Civil laws and government regulations are tightening legally accepted behavior. Churches are being forced to spin off charity work into separate 401c companies. This leaves "Christianity" as a social club that meets on Sunday morning to share coffee.

Centuries of good works, staffed by Christians, are seized by community organizers to promote things which God finds abhorrent.

Churches need to stand up to the state. We need to make sacrifices such as loss of 401c status to keep true to our faith. We are the salt of the earth. Let liberals talk of giving, while we give. People will see the difference.

I would suggest to the left-leaning commentators amongst us who like to throw around the word "deist" to infer that the Founding Fathers were not religious men that they look up the definition of Deist.

Andrew Johnson:

"Let us look forward to the time when we can take the flag of our country and nail it below the Cross, and there let it wave as it waved in the olden times, and let us gather around it and inscribe for our motto: 'Liberty and Union, one and inseparable, now and forever, and exclaim Christ first, our country next!"

Benjamin Franklin:

“I have lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth- that God governs in 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 build 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." -- June 28, 1787 in a statement to the Constitutional Convention

"A Bible and a newspaper in every house, a good school in every district - all studied and appreciated- are the principal support of virtue, morality and civil liberty."

Franklin was an ardent advocate of public education for all. He urged that the schools teach "the necessity of a public religion . . . and the excellency of the Christian religion above all others, ancient or modern." He was also one of the chief advocates for a paid, permanent chaplain of Congress, and when he helped found the college named for him, he insisted that it be built "on Christ, the Corner-Stone."

"I therefore beg leave to move -- that henceforth prayers, imploring the assistance of Heaven and its blessing on our deliberations, be held in this assembly every morning before we proceed to business; and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service."

The worship of God is a duty...Freedom is not a gift bestowed upon us by other men, but a right that belongs to us by the laws of God and nature… I never doubted the existence of the Deity, that he made the world, and governed it by His Providence...The pleasures of this world are rather from God's goodness than our own merit... Whoever shall introduce into the public affairs the principles of primitive (essential) Christianity will change the face of the world... Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.

Benjamin Rush:

"Let the children who are sent to those schools be taught to read and write, and above all, let both sexes be carefully instructed in the principles and obligations of the Christian religion. This is the most essential part of education."

-- "To the citizens of Philadelphia: A Plan for Free Schools," March 28, 1787

"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. Without religion, I believe that learning does real mischief to the morals and principles of mankind."

Daniel Webster:

“If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we and our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.” - 1821

Fisher Ames, a Massachusetts representative to the First, Second, and Third Congresses and a Federalist to the Fourth Congress, made a case for the Bible as a textbook in schools:

"Its morals are pure; its examples captivation and noble. The reverence for the sacred book that is thus early impressed lasts long, and, probably if not impressed in infancy, never takes firm hold of the mind."

Franklin Pierce:

"It must be felt that there is no national security but in the nation's humble, acknowledged dependence upon God and His overruling providence."

George Washington: His personal prayer book, written in his own handwriting, declares continual fidelity to the Lord Jesus Christ:

"O most Glorious God, in Jesus Christ my merciful and loving Father, I acknowledge and confess my guilt, in the weak and imperfect performance of the duties of this day."

“He is no patriot who undermines religion.”

“It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.”

“No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of Providential agency.”

"I am sure that never was a people, who had more reason to acknowledge a Divine interposition in their affairs, than those of the United States; and I should be pained to believe that they have forgotten that agency, which was so often manifested during our Revolution, or that they failed to consider the omnipotence of that God who is alone able to protect them."

“Religion and morality are the essential pillars of civil society.”

"It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly implore His protection and favor." - October 3, 1789

"Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

"Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

"Almighty God: We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government, and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large."

Washington openly promoted and relied upon his Christian faith. He affirmed the importance of children learning "above all…the religion of Jesus Christ."

In effect the Constitution does separate Church from State because there is no provision in the Constitution for any particular Church body to create Federal Law or to amend our Constitution.

On the other hand, our Declaration of Independence joins God to State because it identifies the Creator as the source of our equal unalienable rights to life, liberty and fruit of labor in pursuit of happiness.

What we have - or should have - is a Constitutional separation of Church and State with a Declarational unity of God and State.

Gouverneur Morris, represented Pennsylvania at the convention in Philadelphia in 1787 and subsequently signed the U.S. Constitution: "Religion is the only solid basis of good morals; therefore education should teach the precepts of religion and the duties of man towards God."

General Douglas MacArthur:

"Believe me, Sir, never a night goes by, be I ever so tired, but I read the Word of God before I go to bed."

Grover Cleveland:

"The citizen is a better business man if he is a Christian gentleman, and, surely, business is not the less prosperous and successful if conducted on Christian principles.... All must admit that the reception of the teachings of Christ results in the purest patriotism, in the most scrupulous fidelity to public trust, and in the best type of citizenship. Those who manage the affairs of government are by this means reminded that the law of God demands that they should be courageously true to the interests of the people, and that the Ruler of the Universe will require of them a strict account of their stewardship. The teachings of both human and Divine law thus merging into one word, duty, form the only union of Church and state that a civil and religious government can recognize.

“Above all, I know there is a Supreme Being who rules the affairs of men and whose goodness and mercy have always followed the American people and I know He will not turn from us now if we humbly and reverently seek His powerful aid.” - 2nd Inaugural Address, March 4, 1893

Harvard University official motto:

"For Christ and the Church."

(The first hundred colleges in America were founded upon Judeo-Christian tradition, belief and practice, including Yale, Princeton and Harvard.)

Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the United States:

"Our strength lies in spiritual concepts. It lies in public sensitiveness to evil. Our greatest danger is not from invasion by foreign armies. Our dangers are that we may commit suicide from within by complaisance with evil, or by public tolerance of scandalous behavior."

"Menaced by collectivist trends, we must seek revival of our strength in the spiritual foundations which are the bedrock of our republic. Democracy is the outgrowth of the religious conviction of the sacredness of every human life. On the religious side, its highest embodiment is The Bible; on the political side, the Constitution.

"The whole inspiration of our civilization springs from the teachings of Christ and the lessons of the prophets. To read the Bible for these fundamentals is a necessity of American life."

James Madison: "Chief Architect" of the U. S. Constitution, wrote in the margin of his Bible, "Christ's Divinity appears by St. John chapter XX, 2; 'And Thomas answered and said unto Him, my Lord and my God!' Resurrection testified to and witnessed by the Apostles, Acts IV, 33."

“No people ought to feel greater obligations to celebrate the goodness of the Great Disposer of Events and of (the) Destiny of Nations than the people of the United States… And to the same Divine Author of every good and perfect gift we are indebted for all those privileges and advantages, religious as well as civil, which are so richly enjoyed in this favored land.” - 1815 proclamation of a National Day of Thanksgiving

It was young Madison who prompted a subtle but meaningful change in the wording of one key provision. While chief author George Mason wanted to ensure government "toleration" of religious dissent, Madison prevailed to have the passage state that "all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience."

"It is the duty of every man to render to the Creator such homage, and such only, as he believes to be acceptable to him. This duty is precedent both in order of time and degree of obligation, to the claims of Civil Society. Before any man can be considered as a member of civil society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe. Religion is the basis and foundation of government."

Another Madison quote is instructive: "It is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love and charity toward each other."

"We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it," Madison said. "We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government; upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments."

“Belief in a God All Powerful wise and good, is so essential to the moral order of the World and to the happiness of man, that arguments which enforce it cannot be drawn from too many sources.”

Abraham Lincoln:

"But for this Book we could not know right from wrong. I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book.”

“Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving Grace, to proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.”

"It is fit and becoming in all people, at all times, to acknowledge and revere the Supreme Government of God; to bow in humble submission to His chastisement; to confess and deplore their sins and transgressions in the full conviction that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and to pray, with all fervency and contrition, for the pardon of their past offenses, and for a blessing upon their present and prospective action." - Declaring a national day of prayer and fasting following the Battle of Bull Run

"Intelligence, patriotism, Christianity, and a firm reliance on Him who has never yet forsaken this favored land, are still competent to adjust in the best way all our present difficulty."

"That the Almighty does make use of human agencies, and directly intervenes in human affairs, is one of the plainest statements of the Bible. I have had so many evidences of His direction- so many instances when I have been controlled by some other power than my own will- that I cannot doubt that this power comes from above."

“I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient. One stormy night I tossed on my bed, unable to sleep as I thought of the terrible sufferings of our soldiers and sailors. I spent an hour in agonizing prayer.”

JJStryder, I'm confused as to why you would say that I complicated a simple statement. Instead, I confirmed that the First Amendment accomplished precisely its wording and what many at the time of it's ratification feared and argued its wording would accomplish.

I'm not questioning the wording or what has come of it, only that for anyone who believes in the First Commandment and it's judgment that it's not the great provision that so many people have been led to believe it is, at least, not from a biblical perspective.

Christians have gotten so caught up in the argument regarding the "freedom *from* religion" that they have missed completely the much more consequential issue of "freedom *of* religion."

Again, I would encourage you take the time and read "Amendment 1: Government-Sanctioned Polytheism" at http://www.missiontoisrael.org/biblelaw-constitutionalism-pt11.php.

John Adams:

On March 6, 1789, President Adams called for a national day of fasting and prayer so that the nation might "call to mind our numerous offenses against the most high God, confess them before Him with the sincerest penitence, implore his pardoning mercy, through the Great Mediator and Redeemer, for our past transgression, and that through the grace of His Holy Spirit, we may be disposed and enabled to yield a more suitable obedience. . ."

“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion… Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

"It must be felt that there is no national security but in the nation's humble acknowledged dependence upon God and His overruling providence."

“I must confess I never heard a better prayer or one so well pronounced… with such fervor, such ardor, such earnestness and pathos, and in language so elegant and sublime- for America, for the Congress, for the Province of Massachusetts Bay, and especially the town of Boston. It has had an excellent effect upon everybody here.” - letter to his wife Abigail

“The general principles on which the Fathers achieved independence were the only Principles in which that beautiful Assembly of young Gentlemen could Unite. And what were these general Principles? I answer, the general Principles of Christianity.” - 1813 letter to Thomas Jefferson

"Suppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible for their only Law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited. Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love and reverence toward Almighty God... What a Eutopia, what a paradise would this region be! I have examined all (religions)… and the result is that the Bible is the best book in the world. It contains more of my little philosophy than all the libraries I have seen.” - 1756

"Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure Virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People in a greater Measure, than they have it now, they may change their Rulers and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty."

-- June 21, 1776

"[This day] will be the most memorable epic in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the Day of Deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty…with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more." --John Adams to Abigail Adams on July 4, 1776

I have examined all religions, and the result is that the Bible is the best book in the world.

- John Adams, Works, Vol. X, p. 85, to Thomas Jefferson on December 25, 1813.

I find it interesting that some folks choose to throw around the Deist moniker like it means nothing. The fact they are Deists does NOT make them an atheist, which is what they seem to imply by it. They believed in God and His creation and that this could be determined by reason and the observation of nature and that faith and an organized reliegion wasn't necessary to believe. That is what being a Deist means, so get over it. It doesn't help your argument.

John Quincy Adams:

"The first and almost only Book deserving of universal attention is the Bible. The highest glory of the American Revolution was this; it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity." (July 4, 1821)

“The Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer’s mission upon earth (and) laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity.”

"I have myself, for many years, made it a practice to read through the Bible once every year. My custom is to read four to five chapters every morning immediately after rising from my bed. It employs about an hour of my time."

""Duty is ours; results are God's."

John F. Kennedy:

"The rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God." - 1961

John Jay: First Chief Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court:

"Unto Him who is the author and giver of all good, I render sincere and humble thanks for His manifold and unmerited blessings, and especially for our redemption and salvation by His beloved Son."

“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.”

“It is the duty of all wise, free, and virtuous governments to countenance and encourage virtue and religion.”

“It is to be regretted, but so I believe the fact to be, that except the Bible there is not a true history in the world."

John Marshall: Chief Justice of the Supreme Court described Washington:

"Without making ostentatious professions of religion, he was a sincere believer in the Christian faith, and a truly devout man."

John Winthrop, Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1630:

"For we must consider that we shall be as a City upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw his present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword throughout the world."

John Witherspoon:

“It is in the man of piety and inward principle, that we may expect to find the uncorrupted patriot, the useful citizen, and the invincible soldier. God grant that in America true religion and civil liberty may be inseparable, and that the unjust attempts to destroy the one, may in the issue tend to the support an establishment of both.”

Joseph Story, Associate Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court and the "father of American jurisprudence”:

"Why may not the Bible, and especially the New Testament, without note or comment, be read and taught as divine revelation in the college (school) – its general precepts expounded, its evidences explained and its glorious principles of morality inculcated? … Where can the purest principles of morality be learned so clearly or so perfectly as from the New Testament?"

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."

Noah Webster:

“All the miseries and evils which men suffer from: vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery and war proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible.”

“The opinion that human reason left without the constant control of Divine laws and Commands will give duration to a popular government is as chimerical (unlikely) as the most extravagant ideas that enter the head of a maniac.”

“Our citizens should early understand that the genuine source of correct republican principles is the Bible, particularly the New Testament, or the Christian religion.”

"Education is useless without the Bible."

“The Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed. No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people."

"The religion which has introduced civil liberty is the religion of Christ and His Apostles, which enjoins humility, piety and benevolence; which acknowledges in every person a brother, or a sister, and a citizen with equal rights. This is genuine Christianity and to this we owe our free constitutions of government." - Noah Webster, History of the United States, 1832, public school textbook.

Patrick Henry: In a letter to his sister Anne:

"My heart is full. Perhaps I may never see you in this world. O may we meet in heaven, to which the merits of Jesus will carry those who love and serve Him."

"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religions but on the gospel of Jesus Christ."

“The Bible is worth all the other books which have ever been printed.”

“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” - 1775

"This is all the inheritance I give to my dear family. The religion of Christ will give them one which will make them rich indeed." - from his Last Will and Testament, November 20, 1798

Ronald Reagan:

"The frustrating thing is that those who are attacking religion claim they are doing it in the name of tolerance, freedom and open-mindedness. Question: Isn't the real truth that they are intolerant of religion? They refuse to tolerate its importance in our lives."

"All are free to believe or not believe, all are free to practice a faith or not, but those who believe must be free to speak of and act on their belief to apply moral teaching to public questions... Tolerant society is open to and encouraging of all religions, and this does not weaken us; it strengthens us.... Without God there is no virtue, because there’s no prompting of the conscience. Without God we’re mired in the material, that flat world that tells us only what the senses perceive. Without God there is a coarsening of society and without God democracy will not and cannot long endure.

“Our coins bear the words 'In God We Trust'. We take the oath of office asking His help in keeping that oath. And we proclaim that we are a nation under God when we pledge allegiance to the flag. But we can't mention His name in a public school or even sing religious hymns that are nondenominational..”

“I believe with all my heart that standing up for America means standing up for the God who has so blessed our land. We need God's help to guide our nation through stormy seas. But we can't expect Him to protect America in a crisis if we just leave Him over on the shelf in our day-to-day living.”

Samuel Adams:

"The right to freedom being the gift of the Almighty... The rights of the colonists as Christians...may be best understood by reading and carefully studying the institution of The Great Law Giver and Head of the Christian Church, which are to be found clearly written and promulgated in the New Testament."

“If we continue to be a happy people, that happiness must be assured by the enacting and executing of the reasonable and wise laws expressed in the plainest language and by establishing such modes of education as tend to inculcate in the minds of youth the feelings and habits of piety, religion and morality."

“While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue they will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader.”

Theodore Roosevelt:

"No educated man can afford to be ignorant of the Bible."

"Americanism means virtues of courage, honor, justice, truth, sincerity and hardihood- the virtues that made America. The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life."

Thomas Jefferson:

"The Bible makes the best people in the world."

"God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever." - 1781

"No power over the freedom of religion is delegated to the United States by the Constitution."

"I shall need, too, the favor of that Being in whose hands we are, who has covered our infancy with His providence and our riper years with His wisdom and power."

Thomas Jefferson invoked the blessing of God and cited Scripture in many instances. He wrote the immortal words pledging to the citizens of the young nation that they are "endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights…", acknowledging God as the Giver of Rights and the Author of Life.

"RESISTANCE TO TYRANTS IS OBEDIENCE TO GOD" - revolutionary war battle flag, 1776; the words are attributed to patriot and President Thomas Jefferson.

"Almighty God, Who has given us this good land for our heritage; we humbly beseech Thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of Thy favor and glad to do Thy will. Bless our land with honorable ministry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion, from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitude brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues...all of which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen."

Thomas Paine:

"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it."

Ulysses S. Grant:

"Hold fast to the Bible as the sheet anchor of your liberties; write its precepts in your hearts, and practice them in your lives. To the influence of this book are we indebted for all the progress made in true civilization, and to this must we look as our guide in the future. 'Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.'"

Warren G. Harding:

"It is my conviction that the fundamental trouble with the people of the United States is that they have gotten too far away from Almighty God."

William Henry Harrison:

"I deem the present occasion sufficiently important and solemn as to justify me in expressing to my fellow citizens a profound reverence for the Christian religion, and a thorough conviction that sound morals, religious liberty, and a just sense of religious responsibility are essentially connected with all true and lasting happiness."

Woodrow Wilson:

"The Bible...is the one supreme source of revelation of the meaning of life, the nature of God and spiritual nature and needs of men. It is the only guide of life which really leads the spirit in the way of peace and salvation. America was born a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness, which are derived from the revelations of Holy Scriptures. Part of the destiny of Americans lies in their daily perusal of this great book of revelations. That if they would see America free and pure they will make their own spirits free and pure by this baptism of the Holy Spirit."

"I firmly believe in Divine Providence. Without belief in Providence I think I should go crazy. Without God the world would be a maze without a clue."

Bill of Rights – The First Amendment:

James Madison’s original proposal for a bill of rights provision concerning religion read:

“The civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship, nor shall any national religion be established, nor shall the full and equal rights of conscience be in any manner, or on any pretence, infringed.”

The language was altered in the House to read: “Congress shall make no law establishing religion, or to prevent the free exercise thereof, or to infringe the rights of conscience.”

In the Senate, the section adopted read: “Congress shall make no law establishing articles of faith, or a mode of worship, or prohibiting the free exercise of religion, . . .”

It was in the conference committee of the two bodies, chaired by Madison, that the present language was written with its some what more indefinite “respecting” phraseology.

The Continental Congress, on September 11, 1777, recommended and approved that the Committee of Commerce "import 20,000 Bibles from Holland, Scotland, or elsewhere," because of the great need of the American people and the great shortage caused by the interruption of trade with England by the Revolutionary War.

Constitution of the New England Confederation: “We all came into these parts of America with the same end and aim, namely, to advance the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ and to enjoy the liberties of the Gospel in purity with peace.”

Constitution of the State of Delaware: Art. XXII Every person who shall be chosen a member of either house, or appointed to any office or place of trust... shall...make and subscribe the following declaration, to wit: "I, do profess faith in God the Father and in Jesus Christ His only Son, and in the Holy Ghost, one God, blessed for evermore and I do acknowledge the holy scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by divine inspiration."

To Hugh and Truth: Nice try. However; you both know too much that is not true. I`m not sure where you got the idea that George Washington was a deist.The inscription on the cap of the Washington Monument reads:Laus Deo, which means Praise be to God.Members of Washington`s family stated that he was a devout Christian. In one of his prayers for the nation he started with Almighty God and in the body of the prayer referred to the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and ended with, "Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen" Also, John Adams, who for uninformed persons such as you, was the first vice-resident and the 2nd president of the US, was a devout Christian who attended Sunday services on a regular basis, sometimes as much as 3 times a day on Sunday.Apparently you subscribe to the belief held by most liberals that if you tell a lie often enough it becomes the truth.You might do well to subscribe to the old adage that it is better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

Richard Ryan

Lamar, Missouri (Birthplace of Harry S Truman)

Declaration of Independence:

Thomas Jefferson was appointed to draft the document, and it was his task to express the convictions in the minds and hearts of the American people after many years of frustration and oppression. Because they believed that the British Crown had no right to tax them so brutally, the "self-evident truths" of which Jefferson spoke were born out of the religious views of the Founding Fathers -- that God is the giver of our human rights, not a king, and that it is His intent that His people enjoy those rights:

Declaration of Independence:

"We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness - That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed."

“[W]e are confirmed in the opinion, that the present age would be deficient in their duty to God, their posterity and themselves, if they do not establish an American republic. This is the only form of government we wish to see established; for we can never be willingly subject to any other King than He who, being possessed of infinite wisdom, goodness and rectitude, is alone fit to possess unlimited power.”

—Instructions of Malden, Massachusettes for a Declaration of Independence, 27 May 1776

The First Act of Congress following their agreement of the precise wording of the First Amendment (Congress shall make no law concerning the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...) was to ask President Washington to declare a national day of fasting and prayer!

The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

(often called the first American Constitution) - 1638: "We enter into a combination and confederation together to maintain and preserve the liberty and purity of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ which we now profess."

The Massachusetts Bill of Rights:

“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...” - Part the First, 1780

The Northwest Ordinance:

"Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged." -- signed into law by President George Washington in 1789, during the same time the First Amendment was written.

Preamble to the Idaho state constitution:

“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."

Article I, Section 4: "The exercise and enjoyment of religious faith and worship shall forever be guaranteed…"

U.S. House of Representatives Resolution, 1854: “The great vital and conservative element in our system is the belief of our people in the pure doctrines and Divine Truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

United States Supreme Court:

Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States, 1892, 143 US 457-458, 465-471, 36l ed 226 Justice Josiah Brewer stated: "These, and many other matters which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a Christian nation." (p.471) [This U. S. Supreme Court opinion includes a lengthy and detailed record of the historic evidences of America's Christian heritage.]

"Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon the teachings of the Redeemer of Mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise; and in this sense and to this extent, our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian." - 1892

1844 Vidal v Girard's Executor's 43 U.S. 126, 132 Justice Joseph Story stated:

"Christianity...is not to be maliciously and openly reviled and blasphemed against to the annoyance of believers or the injury of the public.....Why

may not the Bible and especially the New Testament, without note or comment be read and taught as a Divine Revelation in the (school)- its general

precepts expounded, its evidences explained and its glorious principles of morality inculcated? Where can the purest principles of morality be learned

so clearly or so perfectly as from the New Testament?"

1885 Murphy v Ramsey & Others 144 U.S. 15, 45 states:

"…than that which seeks to establish it on the basis of the idea of the

family, as consisting in and springing from the union for life of one man and one woman in the holy estate of matrimony; (the family is) the sure foundation of all that is stable and noble in our civilization; the best guarantee of that reverent morality which is the source of all beneficent progress in social and political improvement."

The United States Supreme Court in reference to the individual's God-Given rights stated in 1884:

"These inherent rights have never been more happily expressed than in the Declaration of Independence. We hold these truths to be self -evident that

is so plain that their truth is recognized upon the mere statement-- that all men are endowed- not by edicts of emperors or decrees of parliaments, or acts of congress, but by their Creator with certain unalienable rights and that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and to secure these- not grant them but secure them- governments are instituted among men."

Washington Monument:

The Washington Monument stands as a lofty and inspiring tribute to our first president, George Washington. It is the anchor on the west end of the National Mall. Few people know that engraved on the metal cap to the monument, towering 555 feet above the ground are the words, "Praise be to God." In addition, several tribute blocks line the staircase, and they are inscribed with Bible verses: "Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not; for such is the Kingdom of God (Luke 18:16)," "Search the Scriptures (John 5:39; Acts 17:11)," and "Holiness unto the Lord (Exodus 28:36); 39:30; Zechariah 14:20)."

and finally...

William Penn:

"Those people who are not governed by God, will be ruled by tyrants."

----------------

We are about to discover that truth -- big time. It may be that before too long Americans will walk through the concentration camps of their own making, and see what has become of their beloved country, their families, and their own lives.

Each of our lives has a purpose -- the perfection of our souls for God. He doesn't care so much what we go through in the short run, but rather that we ultimately come to Him. To that end, the wake-up calls we get become more and more urgent. They are meant to bring each of us to a recognition of our individual and collective folly. If we don't heed the warning, we get another warning even higher on the Richter scale. Eventually, the wake-up call succeeds in waking us up -- or it kills us.

“Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour…” George Washington

George Washington was not a Deist because Deists do not believe in the providence of Almighty God or a God who provides benefits, protection and favor. Also, George Washington rested his hand on the Bible when sworn into Presidential office, and at the end - with his hand on the Bible - said "so help me God."

Here's what I think is funny. If all of the Obama supporters actually believed what he says, they would be upset because Obama spends a good portion of his time trying to sound like a "moderate". However, the funny thing about Liberals, is that they all lie and they all know they all lie. Therefore, it's a universal fact never believe what one of their own is saying...they may say something that resembles a "moderate" or "conservative" line of thought. However, they just say things to fool the gullible public. After all, we still judge a man by his words...

Thank you Tuttle. I appreciate you bringing the actual words of the founders and others into this discussion. It's amazing what we see when we read their words.

BEWARE: BHO is calling for a 5-year spending freeze. That's another way of saying "You can't cut my pet projects!"

These are all wonderful quotes that Tuttle has shared with us. I like them as much as the next Christian. However, there are as many or more conflicting quotes from the other side and often from the very same framers and "founders." Consequently, this will just continue to be a war of quotations which no one will win.

Actually, the quotes from Tuttle prove very little. Politicians are know to make such quotes and, therefore, the quotes in of themselves are meaningless, especially in light of Matthew 7:21-23.

On the other hand, if we examine, let's say, the Constitution from the perspective of Yahweh's morality as found in His perfect laws and altogether righteous judgments (Psalm 19:7-9), we find that the Constitution is not the Christian or biblical document that Christians have been parroting it is for over 200 years. In fact, in nearly every Article and Amendment, it is found to be both antithetical and antagonistic to Yahweh's morality.

For more, see "Bible Law vs. The United States Constitution: The Christian Perspective" at http://www.missiontoisrael.org/articles.php.

Hmmmm...I thought it was originally stated.."IN GOD WE TRUST...EVERYONE ELSE MUST PAY IN CASH"

Another thing you will not see in the state of the union according to Obama, a president upholding the constitution and fulfilling his oath of office. How long do we act like sheep?

The religious opinions of the founding fathers is irrelevant. The number of religious references on national monuments or buildings is irrelevant. If you are going to provide freedom and equality for all citizens you cannot favor one group of citizens over another.

Why are those who despise the Constitution and the form of government we were given by the founders so dang adamant in focusing on this one amendment and not all the others?

“I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.”

Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to the Danbury Baptist’s Association

Tuttle, Thank you my friend.

I typically read the column of the day quite early in the am as my mornings are usually filled with quoting health insurance products - pray for the Repeal so that I might continue - then I jump back in from time to time to check the "comments".

When I saw what Hugh and Truth had posted I was sad.

. . . and I resolved to do some research and to post some of what you posted when I had the time.

However, you did it in SPADES. Kinda like Shock & Awe - overwhelm the opponent - and you saved me alot of typing time.

A wise man's heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man's heart directs him toward the left.

Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him.

Ecclesiastes 10:2 and 12

A. D. Roberts Fox News is the best of the worse. Remember Rupert Murdock owns Fox News, he is also a CFR member. Nuff said

Read the Constitution. There is no separation of Church and State. There is the so called "establishment" clause -- followed immediately by the "Free exercise" clause -- but we never hear about that one do we? Fortunately those that built the country, and most of it's government buildings, recognized the Judeo-Christian principles which guide our nation.

" Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"

Did I miss any Pastor Witherspoon Quotes?

Amendment 1 aside, Article 6 *demands* separation of church and state on two levels. First, in that the Constitution is declared to be the Supreme Law of the Land and that consequently *any* law (secular or biblical) contrary to the Supreme Law is null and void (reference Marbury v. Madison, Norton v. Shelby County, and Miranda v. Arizona, etc.)Consequently, there is no introducing into government *any* biblical law (and there are numerous ones) contrary to the Constitution or any treaty or United States law made in pursuance thereof.

Second, because Article 6 denies any religion test and thus any biblical qualifications for government officials, separation of church and state is in fact Constitutional policy at the most basic level.

For more concerning this, see "Article 6: The Supreme Law of the Land?" at http://www.missiontoisrael.org/biblelaw-constitutionalism-pt6.php.

Christians are not only on losing end of this battle, but they're in the wrong battle to begin with. Rather than debating whether the Constitution bans the *separation* of church and state, they should be debating whether Yahweh's perfect laws (Psalm 19:7-9) require the *integration* of church and state.

The "Free exercise" clause, much like the rest of the bill of rights, relates to individual citizens, not to government institutions or designates acting in their official capacity of respresentation of the government.

In response to Truth: Yes, Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson were Deists. However, everything I have ever read about George Washington has said that he was a devout Christian. I cannot remember anything off the top of my head about the rest, but I think I would have remembered something like that about Franklin.

'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 peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.'

The phrase 'separation of church and state' is not in the Constitution. The Constitution prohibits religion, or lack thereof, being taken into account when determining whether or not a candidate is eligible for office within the Federal government, and the first amendment prohibits Congress (where all Federal laws are supposed to come from) from establishing any given religion as the state religion, and also prohibits Congress's creating any law that restricts the free exercise of religion. Specifically, the Constitution of the United States deals primarily with the organization of the Union and delegation of authority between the Federal Government and the several State Governments. What the Constitution states, in essence, is that the Federal government is to be neutral regarding religion or the form or lack thereof. I have seen arguments claiming that the United States are Christian and were always intended to be so. I have also seen it argued, although the word was never used, that the United States are atheist. Both are faulty arguments. The establishment of religion mentioned is such as is the situation in England (not the United Kingdom) with the Church of England, where, although there is complete freedom of religion, the State Church has a sort of special treatment. I could also point out Saudi Arabia, where the official religion is Sunni Islam and the death penalty is often used to enforce compliance.

01/27/11

MY GOD in HEAVEN,

IF THE PEOPLE AGAIN."ELECT THAT PROFOUND LYIN."SON

of SATAN!!!WE WILL DESERVE TO BURN IN HELL"!!!

"LET US HOPE,OUR CREATOR FORGIVES US"

Mr. Prager, as a Christian historian, I must gently note that your analysis misconstrues American and religious history, as well as the story of Thomas Jefferson.

Roger Williams, first Baptist in America, in the 17th century coined "wall of separation" to describe the proper church/state relationship, a two-way street in which government should not interfere with religious expression and practices, and religion should be completely disestablished from government. Generations of Baptists following fought for church/state separation, and for their efforts were beaten, whipped and jailed by "Christian" colonial church state officials.

Baptists' nearly two-century fight was rewarded, nationally, with the founding of America as a secular nation and the securing of church/state separation in the First Amendment. Thomas Jefferson repeated the Baptists' historical words back to them in the Danbury letter, and Danbury Baptists (and many other Baptists) in return thanked Jefferson for separating church and state.

The reality is that in the early nineteenth century, many Christians other than Baptists despised Jefferson as a heretic, and even an atheist, for his role in founding America as a secular nation.

Many (if not most) historical volumes about Thomas Jefferson at least mention the accusations, from conservative Christians and politicians of theocratic persuasions during Jefferson's lifetime, of the founding father and president being an atheist, heretic and/or infidel.

Charles B. Sanford’s The Religious Life of Thomas Jefferson (1984) is one example. He references the hundred or so pamphlets and newspapers that accused Jefferson of being an atheist, infidel and/or heretic, as well as numerous sermons declaring that if elected, Jefferson would ruin religion, overthrow Christianity, and destroy the Bible. Conservative Christians considered him thus throughout his life. Even afterward, in 1830, the Philadelphia public library refused to include books about Jefferson on its shelves because he was considered an infidel and heretic.

Charles Lerche’s 1948 volume, Thomas Jefferson and the Election of 1800, further explores the popular Christian conception of Jefferson as atheist, heretic, and infidel.

For examples of Christian preachers condemning Jefferson as a liberal, atheist, infidel and heretic, see pages 9 and 10 (including footnotes) of Thomas Jefferson and Political Preaching: Two Case Studies of Free Religious Expression in the American Pulpit. Some conservative preachers vilified Jefferson for (among other things) his Virginia Bill (Act) For Establishing Religious Freedom, on which Jefferson allied with the (also heretical and liberal) Baptists to pass in 1786; the Bill served as a model for the religious clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

For more information about widespread Christian opposition to Jefferson, go to http://www.brucegourley.com/baptists/thomasjeffersonatheist.htm

Today, many Americans - especially conservative Christians - have forgotten their nation's religious history, or worse, intentionally place their faith in phony history designed to support special civil and government privileges for Christians. In reality, Baptists in colonial America suffered and bled to prevent government privileges to religion, and government favoritism of any one faith over another. In short, Baptists ensured that America was founded as a secular nation.

For more information about Baptists and the historical fight for separation of church and state, go to http://www.brucegourley.com/baptists/

Bruce T. Gourley

Executive Director

Baptist History & Heritage Society

www.baptisthistory.org