What the Founders believed may surprise you. Contrary to common teachings today, very few deists existed in the 18th century. Therefore, deists were outnumbered.
Judeo-Christian Morality: A Shared Foundation
The Framers had a common belief in Judeo-Christian moral values (not religious doctrine) that are still widely held today. You know the ones- don’t cheat, steal, lie, covet, murder, have no idols, treat others the way you want to be treated, etc., no matter if you are a person of faith or even have no faith. Who wants to live by a code of immorality in their town, state, or nation? That’s what our Founders thought, too. They believed that we are created beings, and to the Creator, we must give an account. They saw what placing belief in human power apart from the Creator did to governments and power in general.
The First Amendment: Protecting Diverse Beliefs
The First Amendment, written in 1789, did not preclude our Founding Fathers from letting moral values guide them. The fact is, they wrote the First Amendment, which precludes WHO from establishing a national religion. That’s right, Congress. It is Congress “who shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof….”
If you are a person who fears or even hates religion, changing our First Amendment to allay your preference or fears won’t help. Congress cannot establish any religion, including atheism, secularism, satanism, etc. While you may argue that these are only philosophical worldviews, not religions, there is no scholarly agreement on what precisely a religion is. In my opinion, we can’t eliminate popular philosophical worldviews from the religious realm.
Embracing Philosophical Freedom in America
America was founded on Judeo-Christian moral values. If you move to an atheist country, you will live by atheist values. Likewise, secularism, secular values. In our country, you can live by whatever philosophical worldview you choose, but you must allow others to do the same under the U.S. Constitution.
The First Amendment safeguards the right to practice faith and reflects the enduring moral principles that shaped our nation. That is the gift we have in the First Amendment.
This is Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. 🇺🇸
