God and Washington

It never fails. Write a column in defense of the religious foundations of the United States and the Atheists, Communists, Liberals and Libertarians come out of the woodwork with lies, denunciations, misjudgments and, occasionally, threats.

One letter, typical of many others, told a whopper of a fib regarding George Washington. The writer sent me a so-called quote from the Father of Our Country that was published online at a so-called “Inspirational Quote Site” (I found the site). The publisher failed to reveal the source—he had good cause—nevertheless, he sent it out to his subscribers as the “inspirational quote of the day” and directed its recipients to circulate the quote far and wide across the Internet.

I suppose Atheists have no problem engaging in the kind of missionary labors they find so appalling in Christians—And they do a good job—Their efforts reached right into this writer’s home!

It seems, according to this unidentified source, that George Washington once said: "The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion."

The problem is, Washington never said it; and not only are these not Washington’s words, but never was there a statement more out of character for a man than these ascribed to Washington. George Washington, perhaps more than any other Founder, saw the hand of God everywhere: early on in his life, in the French and Indian War, in the American Revolution, and in the establishment of the American Government under the US Constitution. And, judging by the volume of quotes he made on this subject, George Washington was not afraid to make his feelings known.

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labour to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men & citizens. The mere Politician, equally with the pious man ought to respect & to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private & public felicity. Let it simply be asked where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the Oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure--reason & experience both forbid us to expect that National morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.

'Tis substantially true, that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government. The rule indeed extends with more or less force to every species of Free Government. Who that is a sincere friend to it, can look with indifference upon attempts to shake the foundation of the fabric. “Promote then as an object of primary importance, Institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge. In proportion as the structure of a government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that public opinion should be enlightened.” (1)

This is the real George Washington. Religion, says he, is a critical factor, both in the establishment and perpetuation of our laws. The connections between private and public felicity, and morality and religion are numberless. Religion is the very spring from which popular government sprang, the foundation of the fabric.

Thus, government should not stand neutral as regards religion, nor embrace a secular approach (as did the French; his comment was directed against the French), nor a communist approach (which would abolish religion in private affairs as well); no, rather, a proper understanding of the nature of self-government indicates that government ought to “promote,” religious and moral principle as “an object of primary importance,” especially in institutions of learning, that public opinion in future generations might continue to be enlightened.

Yes, “the Enlightenment” that Washington was firmly attached to was not the European model—And note this: promoting religion was not about force, but about protecting free religious expression in the schools for the sake of securing an enlightened electorate. Without this security, free government falls under the weight of its own folly.

Besides, the magnificent Farewell Address, at every turn, Washington fearlessly spoke his mind about God’s hand in securing our liberties and the need to humble ourselves before him.

“The man must be bad indeed who can look upon the events of the American Revolution without feeling the warmest gratitude towards the great Author of the Universe whose divine interposition was so frequently manifested in our behalf. And it is my earnest prayer that we may so conduct ourselves as to merit a continuance of those blessings with which we have hitherto been favored.” (2)

"The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked, that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations." (3)

That God’s protecting hand was on the side of the colonist, was no doubt in part, because their leader was ever encouraging his soldiers to act like Christians.

“The blessing and protection of Heaven are at all times necessary but especially so in times of public distress and danger--The General hopes and trusts, that every officer and man, will endeavour so to live, and act, as becomes a Christian Soldier defending the dearest Rights and Liberties of his country.”

To help encourage such faith and fidelity to Christianity among the troops, General Washington procured Chaplains “of good character and exemplary lives” over every regiment.

It was in the same order that he referred to “his Country” as being “under God.” (4)

On a number of occasions, Washington requested that the troops refrain from gambling and profanity. His reasons for these requests are noteworthy:

“All Officers, non-commissioned Officers and Soldiers are positively forbidden playing at Cards, and other Games of Chance. At this time of public distress, men may find enough to do in the service of their God, and their Country, without abandoning themselves to vice and immorality.” (5)

"The General is sorry to be informed that the foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing, a vice heretofore little known in an American army, is growing into fashion. He hopes the officers will, by example as well as influence, endeavor to check it, and that both they and the men will reflect that we can have little hope of the blessings of heaven on our arms if we insult it by our impiety and folly; added to this, it is a vice so mean and low, without any temptation, that every man of sense, and character, detests and despises it." (6)

Washington understood that men must meet God half way, that prayer was not enough, that actions proved faith, that righteousness exalts a nation.

After the war was over and Independence won, Washington reflected, on June 11, 1783, in a letter to John Hancock, that America seemed “peculiarly designated by Providence,” for “a display of human greatness and success,” and “a fairer opportunity for political happiness than any other nation has ever been favored with.”

He then listed the blessings of Heaven that combined in a manner never seen since the world was:

“The Foundation of our Empire was not laid in the gloomy age of Ignorance and Superstition, but at an Epocha when the rights of Mankind were better understood and more clearly defined, than at any former period, the researches of the human mind after social happiness have been carried to a great extent, the Treasures of knowledge, acquired by the labours of Philosophers, Sages, and Legislators, through a long succession [of] years, are laid open for our use, and their collected wisdom may be happily applied in the Establishment of our Forms of Government, the free cultivation of Letters, the unbounded extension of Commerce, the progressive refinement of Manners, the growing liberality of sentiment, and above all, the pure and benign light of Revelation, have had a meliorating influence on Mankind and increased the blessings of Society; At this auspicious period, the United States came into existence as a Nation, and if their Citizens should not be compleatly Free and Happy, the fa[u]lt will be entirely their own.”

There are many things which can be said about George Washington. To claim that he saw no connection between the establishment of our free government and the Christian religion is not one of them. These few examples, among so many others, establish the point.

2. Fitzpatrick, John C., editor. “The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799,” New York, Sept. 28, 1789. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi- bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field(DOCID+@lit(gw300373))

4. Fitzpatrick, “The Writing of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799,” Headquarters, July 9, 1776.

5. Ibid. Headquarters, Cambridge, February 26, 1776 http://memory.loc.gov/cgi- bin/query/r?ammen/mgw:@field(DOCID+@lit(gw040296))

7. The Papers of George Washington, Washington to John Hancock, 11 June 1783 http://gwpapers.virginia.edu/constitution/1784/hancock.html

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It is a truly enlightening experience to compare the Christian foundations of the American Revolution to the atheistic Enlightenment foundations of the French Revolution. The first was a "revolution" to apply the rule of law while the latter was a revolution in its truest sense of the word--anarchist and an overthrow of all authority, both human and divine. One led to a country blessed with freedoms which had not been experienced (or at least very rarely) in history previously. The other led to a blood bath with lines at the guillotine.

"The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion."

While the statement itself is true, it cannot be attributed to President George Washington. The quote usually refers to the 1797 Treaty with Tripoli, which was not Washington’s work.

The 1797 treaty with Tripoli was a treaty in which each country officially recognized the religion of the other in an attempt to prevent further escalation of a "Holy War" between Christians and Muslims.

Article XI of that treaty stated:

As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion as it has in itself no character of enmity [hatred] against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen [Muslims] and as the said States [America] have never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.

Article XI separated America from those historical strains of European Christianity, which demonstrated an inherent hatred of Muslims; it was intended to assure the Muslims that the United States was not a Christian nation like those of previous centuries and would not undertake a religious holy war against them.

It is a truly enlightening experience to compare the Christian foundations of the American Revolution to the atheistic Enlightenment foundations of the French Revolution.

And it's endlessly amusing to see how the Ayn Rand wing of libertarian thought seems to champion the French model, which didn't work, as opposed to our religiously-based model, which did work.

For a group allegedly devoted to "reason," one cannot but help conclude that their ignorance of the beliefs upon which America was truly built, is very much a self-imposed ignorance based on something far removed from "reason."

It's time to break that treaty then. Islam is the enemy

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