Isabella Carter
The US Constitution does not explicitly mention the word God or make reference to a supreme deity. This was a deliberate omission by the Founding Fathers, who were aware of the history of divine rights of kings and theocratic governments in Europe. The Constitution was instead designed to be a blueprint for a stable and effective republican government in a free country, promoting secular values and acknowledging the religious diversity of the nation. However, the phrase “In God We Trust” has been adopted in US law and appears on US currency, and the word God or the divine is mentioned in the constitutions of all 50 states.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of times the word "God" appears in the US Constitution | 0 |
| Number of times the phrase "In God We Trust" appears in the US Constitution | 0 |
| Number of times the phrase "One Nation Under God" appears in the US Constitution | 0 |
| Number of times the phrase "the year of our Lord" appears in the US Constitution | 1 |
| Number of times the word "religion" appears in the US Constitution | 2 |
| Number of times the word "God" appears in state constitutions | At least 1 in each of the 50 state constitutions, nearly 200 times overall |
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What You'll Learn
The US Constitution does not reference God
The Founding Fathers of the American republic began the Constitution with the words: "We, the people of the United States." The word "religion" appears only twice in the Constitution. Firstly, when the Constitution forbids any religious test for public office, and secondly, in the First Amendment, which says: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." These sixteen words of the First Amendment have become the charter of religious freedom in America.
The US Constitution, unlike the Declaration of Independence, contains no reference to God. The Founding Fathers intended for the Constitution to be a blueprint for a stable and effective republican government in a free country. The Preamble to the Constitution declares wholly secular objects, and religious references are extraneous in a document drafted to further them. Eighteenth-century America was religiously diverse, and religion was widely viewed as a matter of individual choice. The Constitution acknowledged these realities and promoted no particular sect or theological position.
The US Constitution does use the formula "the year of our Lord" in Article VII, but this is considered a boilerplate term for recording dates at that time and holds no weight in any claim that a Christian God is implied. The US Constitution, therefore, differs from several European constitutional traditions, where references to God are common due to the strong position of established churches in those countries.
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The US Constitution does reference God
The absence of direct references to God in the US Constitution was a deliberate choice by the Founding Fathers. They were aware of the history of divine rights of kings and theocratic governments in Europe and chose to maintain religious neutrality. The US Constitution, instead, promotes secular values and focuses on establishing a stable and effective republican government in a free country.
The Founding Fathers wanted to protect religious liberty and prevent the new national government from interfering in matters of religion or conscience. This intention is reflected in the First Amendment, which states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." This amendment has become the charter of religious freedom in America, guaranteeing both freedom of religion and freedom from religion.
While the US Constitution does not explicitly mention God, it acknowledges the importance of religion in the public sphere. The document uses secular language to ensure that people of different faiths can interpret it according to their beliefs. This approach reflects the religious diversity of eighteenth-century America, where religion was widely viewed as a matter of individual choice.
In contrast to the US Constitution, the nation's state constitutions do include references to God or the divine. According to a Pew Research Center analysis, God or the divine is mentioned at least once in each of the 50 state constitutions, with nearly 200 mentions overall. While a few state constitutions explicitly prohibit non-believers from holding public office, these bans are generally not enforced due to the US Constitution's prohibition on religious tests for public officeholders.
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The US Constitution's secular values
The United States Constitution does not make an explicit reference to God. However, it does use the formula "the year of our Lord" in Article VII. The word "religion" appears only twice in the Constitution. Firstly, when it forbids any religious test for public office, and secondly, in the First Amendment, which states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
The Founding Fathers of the American republic drafted a Constitution that began with the words "We, the people of the United States." They acknowledged that religion promoted individual morality and civic virtue but did not want the new national government to interfere in religious affairs. The Constitution was intended to create a stable and effective republican government in a free country, with wholly secular objects. The Founding Fathers also wanted to protect religious freedom and prevent the government from interfering in religious matters.
The Constitution's secular nature is evident in its promotion of religious freedom and tolerance. It established a doctrine of separation of church and state, guaranteeing people the right to worship as they pleased. This separation does not imply a separation of religion and politics but allows religious and non-religious individuals and groups to engage freely in political speech and action.
However, some argue that the Constitution is not and should not be a secular document. They emphasize the positive role of religion in the public square and the flourishing of the republic. Additionally, they contend that secularizing the Constitution could lead down a dangerous path, potentially threatening the republic.
In conclusion, while the US Constitution does not explicitly mention God, it upholds secular values by ensuring religious freedom, tolerance, and the separation of church and state. The Founding Fathers aimed to create a free and stable government that respected the religious diversity of its citizens. However, the ongoing debate surrounding the interpretation of the Constitution and its relationship with religion highlights the dynamic nature of constitutional understanding in a changing societal context.
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The US Constitution and religious liberty
The US Constitution makes no direct reference to God. However, it does use the formula "the year of our Lord" in Article VII. The word "religion" appears only twice in the Constitution. Firstly, the Constitution forbids any religious test for public office. Secondly, the First Amendment states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof".
The First Amendment has been the charter of religious freedom in America. The Fourteenth Amendment also guarantees religious civil rights. Section one of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits discrimination based on religion.
The Founding Fathers of the American republic drafted a Constitution that acknowledged the religious diversity of the nation. They did not want the new national government to interfere in matters of religion or conscience. The roots of religious liberty in the US stretch back to the early settlers who fled religious persecution in Europe. They sought a new world where they could follow and practice their faith without government interference.
The US Constitution and its amendments have been interpreted by the Supreme Court to protect religious liberty. For example, in Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971), the Court created a three-part test for laws dealing with religious establishment. This determined that a law was constitutional if it did not foster excessive government entanglement with religion. In Lee v. Weisman (1992), the Court ruled that prayer established by a school principal at a middle school graduation was unconstitutional. The Court has tried to determine a way to deal with church-state questions, restricting acts by the government designed to establish prayer while affirming students' individual freedom to pray.
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State constitutions and references to God
The US Constitution does not explicitly mention God or the divine. However, it does use the formula "the year of our Lord" in Article VII. The word "religion" appears only twice in the Constitution. Once when the Constitution forbids any religious test for public office, and again in the First Amendment, which states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." These sixteen words of the First Amendment have become the charter of religious freedom in America.
On the other hand, references to God or the divine are present in every state constitution. According to a Pew Research Center analysis, God or the divine is mentioned at least once in each of the 50 state constitutions and nearly 200 times overall. All but four state constitutions—Colorado, Iowa, Hawaii, and Washington—use the word "God" at least once. The constitutions in Colorado, Iowa, and Washington refer to a "Supreme Being" or "Supreme Ruler of the Universe", while Hawaii's constitution mentions the divine in its preamble, which expresses gratitude for "Divine Guidance." Most state constitutions (34) refer to God more than once. Of the 116 times the word appears in state constitutions, eight are in the Massachusetts constitution, and New Hampshire and Vermont have six references each.
In ancient times and the Middle Ages, gods or God were commonly invoked in contracts to guarantee the agreements made. Formulas such as "In the name of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit" were used at the beginning of legal documents to emphasize the fairness and justness of the created norms. Treaties between Christian nations typically began with an invocation of God until the late 19th century. When written constitutions became the norm for modern states in the 19th century, several European states included references to God in their founding documents, while others—such as laicist France and states influenced by it—chose to preserve their religious neutrality. Some European countries whose constitutions do not mention God include Norway (1814), Luxembourg (1868/1972), Iceland (1944/68), Italy (1947), Portugal (1976), and Spain (1978).
In the early 1990s, the newly independent nations of Eastern Europe and Asia adopted new democratic constitutions following the fall of the Soviet Union. The majority of these new constitutions, including those of all ex-Soviet republics and dependent states except Hungary and Ukraine, made no mention of the supernatural in their preambles. Instead, they emphasized secular values such as "liberty, justice, and law" (Estonia) or "the generally accepted principles in the modern world" (Croatia). The preambles to the constitutions of the Czech Republic and Slovakia also do not directly mention God but refer to the countries' "spiritual wealth" and "the spiritual heritage of Cyril and Methodius", respectively.
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Frequently asked questions
The word "God" is not mentioned in the US Constitution. However, the phrase "the year of our Lord" is used in Article VII.
The US Constitution is a secular document drafted to establish a stable and effective republican government in a free country. The Founding Fathers deliberately omitted any reference to a supreme deity as they wanted to avoid endorsing any appropriation of God and to separate church and state.
The word "religion" appears twice in the US Constitution. The Constitution forbids any religious test for public office and, in the First Amendment, states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
