Another reference source to validate the contributions of Christianity to freedom and economic sustainability is the book by Rodney Stark entitled The Victory of Reason, How Christianity Led to Freedom, Capitalism and Western Success. A quote from the book: “The modern world arose only in Christian societies. Not in Islam. Not in Asia. Not in a “secular” society—there having been none.”
Our founding fathers were aware of the same fact over 200 years ago that has just now become aware to the Chinese. President John Adams said, “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.”
In the same time period a Frenchman, Alexis de Tocqueville was also aware. He said, “It was religion that gave birth to the English colonies in America. One must never forget that...I think I can see the whole destiny of America contained in the first Puritan who landed on those shores, as that of the whole human race in the first man...Despotism may be able to do without faith, but freedom cannot...When a people’s religion is destroyed...then not only will they let their freedom be taken from them, but often they actually hand it over themselves.”
And Russell Kirk said, “Among the props of order in democratic societies, the chief is religion; and Tocqueville found in his American observations some reassurance on this score. Democratic peoples simplify religion, certainly; but it may remain with them as an abiding force, helping to counteract that materialism which leads to democratic despotism.”
I believe that our Constitution is a divinely inspired document written mostly by religious men seeking guidance form God. I do not believe that mortal man left to his on devices alone could have drafted such a profound work. How much longer this document stands will depend on how America accepts or rejects Christianity.
I like to think about de Toqueville’s observation of the first Puritan landing on our shores.
The Mayflower had two groups: the Pilgrims and the Strangers.
The Pilgrims are the ones we read about most etc. But on the boat were also the basically secular Strangers.
I see the U.S. as unchanging since that time in this sense: We are still a nation of Pilgrims and Strangers. Sometimes the Pilgrims have the upper hand (yay). Sometimes they don’t. The struggle continues.