American Founding Principles
(In accordance with the laws of Nature and of Natures God)

The American founding fathers understood that a person's right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, comes from God. To secure those rights they instituted a republican form of government, not a Democracy Their efforts were blessed by divine providence which resulted in a nation that embraced God's moral laws and reflected Christian principles. The Baptist, along with other freedom loving people, were very influential in petitioning our founders to establish individual freedom and liberty of conscience in religious matters. During the founding of America, there was much discussion regarding religious liberty and the support of Christianity by civil Laws. Some of the founders favored Christianity by law and supported taxation for the purpose of supporting Ministers. The Baptist were opposed to Christianity or any other religion being a state religion and found it repulsive to force people to pay taxes to support those who had different Christian views from their own. Elder John Leland in responding to schemes in Rhode Island and Connecticut pertaining to mandatory taxation by groups who purposed using civil law to enforce their plans said: "Although it is no abridgement of religious liberty for congregations to pay their preachers by legal force, in the manner prescribed above, yet it is anti Christian; such a church cannot be a church of Christ, because they are not governed by Christ's laws, but by the laws of state; and such ministers do not appear like ambassadors of Christ, but like ministers of state." (from the writings of Elder John Leland, page 189)

Without the influence of God fearing people such as the Baptists and Quakers, who opposed laws mandating religious practice; it is very possible that we would have been a Christian Nation by law. Elder John Leland gave his opinion of what a particular sect, even Christianity, mandated by the civil authorities will produce. "An over-fondness for a particular system or sect. This gave rise to the first human establishment of religion, by Constantine the Great. Being converted to the Christian system, he established it in the Roman empire, compelled the Pagans to submit, and banished the Christian heretics; built fine chapels at public expense, and forced large stipends for the preachers. All this was done out of love to the Christian religion; but his love operated inadvertently, for he did the Christian church more harm than all the persecuting emperors ever did." Timely for today, he also spoke of Islam and how they used law and force to convert people to their religion which is in contrast to true Christianity: "Mahomet called in the use of the law and sword, to convert people to his religion; but Jesus did not--does not." (The writings of Elder John Leland page 183 and 187)

Most all the founders were supportive of Christianity even though some were not practicing Christians themselves. Reading the Declaration of Independence and the Virginia's Statue of Religious freedom, both authored by Thomas Jefferson, reveals that Jefferson believed in God and his wording in reference to God, implies his support of Christianity. Jefferson indicated his opposition to taxation to support ministers by this statement in the Virginia's Statue of Religious Freedom: "to compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves, is sinful and tyrannical" We should be so grateful for the many years that God has blessed the American people to worship Him without the tyrannical hand of government interfering. We have been blessed to live in a country where religion is left to the individual's conscious which in effect gave us freedom from a forced religion and the blessing to follow our own conscious in matters of religion.

Although a growing number of anti-Christian people are gaining ground in falsely teaching that Christian Principles were not the basis of America's laws. Only an ignorant or dishonest person would make that argument. Clearly the laws and statues that became the law of the land was based on Christian principles. This came about because the people in the States were supportive of Christianity more so than any other religion and their representatives tailored our laws after the Ten Commandments. Which is why the claim that our government was based on Judo-Christian principles is true. The founders wisely left all things not specifically spelled out in the federal constitution to the states. Among those things left to the states were education and personal moral laws, Sadly this is being ignored in all levels of government today and must be restored if we are to ever go back to our founding principles.

Some Judges in the past/present have used the letter President Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Association of Baptist to pervert the founders beliefs in regard to religion in the public square. Today many have jump on that bandwagon erroneously using his letter to promote anti-Christian laws. They imply the phrase 'Separation of Church and State' is a constitutional statement but that phrase is not in the constitution, it was in the letter to the Danbury Baptists and in no way conveyed the idea that religious expression was to be band from the public square. The facts just will not support that false claime. The ensuing 200 year historical record proves the founders did not hold that false view. Early facts such as: Church services being held in the congress, public prayer in congress and having ministers serving as Chaplains in the military is enough evidence to dispel that idea. Up to the 1950's it was common to hear preachers on the court house square, especially in the south.

The American people have departed from following the moral laws of God as our Nation once did. None of us are guiltless in this great departure from following Biblical/Christian principles. Almost all Baptists of today have departed from the precepts and principles that Christ and the Apostles left for his disciples to follow. I am sure that many would deny this truth but an honest assessment of the condition of our Nation and the fall from scriptural doctrine and practices will bear this out. O Lord have mercy on us Elder Claude McKee