“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” –John Adams

The study of the contributions of Christianity to our country’s foundations and character is complex and sometimes confusing. After all, our Founding Fathers were complex and at times confusing men. Most were also prolific writers, and there are volumes of their works available from assorted resources. Often enough, selected bits and small pieces of these works, especially when quoted out of context, can be seen as contradictory.

The question of a Christian America often arises in the wording and meaning of our Constitution itself. Admittedly, the Constitution is a secular document as written. There is no mention of God, Creator, Christianity or any other such word within its sections and clauses. However, there are several references to such in our Declaration of Independence, and references too numerous to list in the writings and philosophical discourses of the Founding Fathers.

More so than anything else, these men were fearful of the consolidation of too much power in any one entity. This concern was not only directed towards a strong centralized government, but also in the idea of an established state church. They were all too aware of the dangers of any one particular church being an official partner with any level of government, and were acutely attuned to the excesses and lack of individual freedoms which followed. After all, many of them knew of others who had come to America from other lands to escape such excesses.

In fact, one of the main reasons for the secular language in our Constitution was because several of the newly emerging states had already instituted official state churches. This was a carryover from their days as colonies, where adherence to a certain denomination was a matter of legality for their citizens. James Madison and others recognized this for the threat to individual liberties that it was, and acted accordingly. Still, it was not until 1833 that the state church of Massachusetts was finally disestablished.

When discussing the idea of the United States of America being founded as a Christian nation, almost invariably the question of the Treaty of Tripoli comes into play. Many have argued the wording in this treaty illustrates the “fact” that this country was never designed to be a Christian nation. But one must have an understanding of the history surrounding this document to fully appreciate the reasoning involved. Though it has been the sire of numerous essays and articles, I will attempt to encapsulate it as concisely as possible.

Barbary pirates from the north coast of Africa had been attacking colonial merchant ships since the early 1600s, making off with both ship and cargo while selling the hapless crews into slavery. By and large these attacks were stymied early on by the increasing capabilities and power of the British Royal Navy. However, upon the winning of our independence these attacks returned with a vengeance.

One must remember that we were not the superpower of the world during this period; rather only a very young and weak constitutional republic with no real navy amidst a world full of enemies. At the time, many felt that we were better served by basically paying extortion money to these seagoing bandits, and the Treaty of Tripoli was basically a formal agreement to that reasoning. Ratified in 1797, its relevancy was quickly compromised due to further attacks and demands made by the Barbary pirates beginning in 1800.

Enter Thomas Jefferson, newly elected President of the United States. Jefferson has been against paying this extortion money from the very beginning, and was now in a position to act. He acquired a personal copy of the Quran, and read it carefully to glean all he could about those who made themselves his enemies. Then he ordered a small squadron of U.S. Navy ships accompanied by an even smaller number of U.S. Marines to sail to the Barbary Coast and deal with the problem. They did so with great fidelity and verve, leading to an unexpected victory and the famous “to the shores of Tripoli” found in the very first line of the Marine Corps Hymn.

Historical significance aside, the main controversy on this issue is found in the eleventh clause of the document. Specifically, the line in question reads: “As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion…”, and goes on to state that the United States meant the Muslims no harm of any sort, nor their religion.

But why would some long-forgotten minor dignitaries include such language in a treaty with a foreign power? Most likely it had little or nothing to do with what our nation actually was, but rather in how we wanted these sea-going gangsters to perceive us. The idea of jihad is not a new one in the Muslim religion, and the perception that they were attacking Christian ships made for good propaganda to the masses. It also gave them some sort of religious legitimacy to cover their outright piracy.

Our dignitaries sought to avoid such a trap, and to be seen as secular in nature rather than a land of Christian “infidels” as the pirates wanted to pigeonhole us. Furthermore, it was well known and documented that life as one of their captives was quite harsh, and much more so for anyone with a Christian connection. It is quite possible these same dignitaries were attempting to play for better treatment for any Americans still being held captive by these brigands, or for those who might be captured in the future.

Much has also been made about the lack of controversy of this treaty in the Senate during that time, and that it was ratified by President John Adams without question or argument. The truth is the treaty took seven long months to reach our shores, and neither the Congress nor the President could have cancelled or changed the terms and wording of the document. It was an all or nothing sort of affair.

The hope was this treaty would possibly neutralize a very serious threat to our maritime commerce, a commerce which was the life blood of the country. Plus it would give our nation precious time to construct a navy to deal with these threats on a future basis. Probably the most telling comment of this entire episode was by General William Eaton when he informed then Secretary of State (and future Chief Justice) John Marshall that “It is a maxim of the Barbary States that the Christians who would be on good terms with them must fight well or pay well.”

When taken in the totality of intentions, circumstances and historical significance; one must conclude that when such an obscure, short-lived, and ineffective document becomes the flagship for the argument against our country’s Christian foundations, that in itself illustrates how specious this same argument actually is.

Furthermore, the history of Christian teachings and philosophy are closely intertwined with the most heralded and respected universities to be found in our land. Who were the driving forces behind the creation of such schools as Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Princeton and Notre Dame? Moving closer to my home state of Texas, what do the institutions such as TCU, SMU, Baylor and St. Mary’s University have in common in their origins? One word, one common bond: Christianity.

Christianity is also an influence that runs deep in our nation’s military. Some of the finest universities of learning to be found anywhere are our military academies at West Point, Annapolis, and Colorado Springs. Recently I had the privilege to tour the grounds at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. One of the most memorable sights to be found anywhere on the yard is the chapel. It is an inspirational piece of architecture, and an integral part of what makes this campus special and unique the world over. Whether one cares to admit it or not, the truest ideals of Christianity are as deeply embedded in these military academies as the essential and time-tested beliefs of Duty, Honor, Country.

The fact that Christianity has immensely influenced our nation cannot be refuted or denied. God is referred to repeatedly in our Declaration of Independence and in the constitutions for all fifty states. There are libraries full of American literature which speak of Him. In our nation’s capital His name adorns the famous landmarks and governmental buildings there. His Ten Commandments are boldly engraved on our Supreme Court. The quiet graves of our servicemen who gave their all are often marked by a simple white cross.

Our currency bears His name and He is called upon in most traditional songs dedicated to our nation and its beliefs. We swear to Him in court, and also swear by him upon taking public office, becoming a peace officer, or when joining our armed forces. Our Pledge of Allegiance contains His name. Every one of our Presidents laid claim to a belief in God, as well as the overwhelming majority of members of both our legislative and judicial branches. During times of national tribulation and danger, His assistance and protection has been prayed for by our most famous leaders, heroes and statesmen.

To say that Christianity has not had a monumental influence on the existence of this great land is akin to saying that sun and rain has no influence on the wild flowers growing in a field. Freedom is never free, and the idea of individual liberties and free will are found throughout the pages of the New Testament of the Holy Bible. To disavow such an obvious link is not only preposterous, but an unwise and self-defeating argument that holds real malice for future generations of Americans.

Ben H. English is an eighth generation Texan, a former Marine with seven years of active service, and a retired state trooper. He possesses a BA Magna Cum Laude in Government, and has an active interest in a variety of subjects. Mr. English and his wife have two sons; both who are military officers and graduates of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis.