Simone Lawson
The United States Constitution and Declaration of Independence are two of the most important documents in the history of the nation. Both documents have been used to validate opinions and policy prescriptions, with Americans across the religious spectrum looking to them for support. While the Declaration of Independence mentions God four times, the Constitution does not directly reference God. However, it is worth noting that some state constitutions do refer to God, and the US Constitution mentions in the year of our Lord, which is a common way of recording dates at the time.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| God mentioned in the United States Constitution | No |
| God mentioned in the Declaration of Independence | Yes |
| Number of times God is mentioned in the Declaration of Independence | 4 |
| Nature of the mentions of God in the Declaration of Independence | References to "Laws of Nature and of Nature's God", "Creator", "divine Providence", and "sacred Honor" |
| Founding Fathers' religious beliefs | Varied; some devout believers, some atheists, some skeptics, some traditional theists |
| Jefferson's religious beliefs | Varied; described as hovering between Deism and Unitarianism, a traditional theist, a skeptic, and a non-traditional Christian |
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What You'll Learn
God is mentioned in the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson, mentions God four times. The first mention of God is in the very first sentence of the declaration: "the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God." This acknowledges that the source of power is God. The Founding Fathers recognised that their power to establish a nation had been given to them by God.
The second reference to God is as the "Creator" who bestows upon humans their "unalienable rights". This is in the famous passage: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." To the majority of Americans in 1776, this "Creator" was the God of the Judeo-Christian tradition.
The third reference to God is as the "divine Providence", or the belief in His protection. The document embraces the idea that freedom was sealed in His protection and love.
The final reference to God is in the last line of the Declaration of Independence, where the Founding Fathers remind the reader that freedom and citizenship are a sacred honour granted by God.
Despite these mentions of God, the Declaration of Independence is not a Christian document. It does not mention the Trinity, the resurrection, Christ's divinity, or other essential Christian tenets. It is also not a legal document and cannot be used in a court of law. The United States Constitution, meanwhile, does not mention God at all.
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God is not mentioned in the US Constitution
The United States Constitution contains no reference to God. This may seem odd, especially considering that the Declaration of Independence, the other document to which Americans frequently turn for guidance on the role of religion in the country, mentions God several times.
The Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson, includes four mentions of God. The first reference to God in the Declaration of Independence occurs in the very first sentence, which reads: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Here, the Founding Fathers refer to God as the "Creator" who endows humans with unalienable rights. This idea that God is the granter of human rights and the Creator of natural law is reinforced in the document's first section, which explains the natural rights of man.
The second mention of God in the Declaration of Independence is in the phrase "Laws of Nature and of Nature's God," acknowledging God as the maker and author of nature's laws. The third reference to God is in the term "divine Providence," which the Founding Fathers used to refer to God's protection and their belief in His love. Finally, the Founding Fathers culminate the Declaration of Independence with a reminder that freedom and citizenship are sacred honours granted by God.
Despite the secular nature of the US Constitution, the Founding Fathers' personal beliefs varied. While some were devout believers, others were atheists or held non-Christian beliefs. For example, Thomas Jefferson, the lead author of the Declaration of Independence, was a traditional theist but not a traditional Christian. He was skeptical about Christian doctrine, and his beliefs hovered between Deism and Unitarianism.
The absence of any mention of God in the US Constitution, in contrast to the Declaration of Independence, reveals a great deal about the founding principles of the United States and the country's intended separation of church and state.
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The Founding Fathers' faith
The Founding Fathers of the United States had diverse religious beliefs and backgrounds. Most were Protestants, with the largest number raised in the three largest Christian traditions of colonial America: Anglicanism, Presbyterianism, and Congregationalism. Other Protestant groups included the Society of Friends (Quakers), Lutherans, and the Dutch Reformed. A few Founders were of Roman Catholic heritage, including Charles Carroll and Daniel Carroll of Maryland, and Thomas Fitzsimmons of Pennsylvania.
The religious beliefs of the Founding Fathers have been a subject of debate, with scholars, pastors, and writers offering different interpretations. Some argue that the majority of the Founders were religious rationalists or Unitarians, while others claim that they held orthodox Christian beliefs, or were even born-again Christians. The widespread existence of Deism in 18th-century America further complicates the understanding of the Founders' beliefs. Deists argued for the primacy of human experience and rationality over religious dogma, and some Founding Fathers, such as Thomas Paine, promoted Deist ideas.
The Founding Fathers' religious beliefs influenced the creation of key documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. The Declaration of Independence, primarily authored by Thomas Jefferson, contains several references to God and a belief in a created order. Jefferson, a slaveowner and skeptic of Christian doctrine, described God as "the author of nature's laws and the endower of natural rights." The Declaration states that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." This belief in a Creator God was essential to the founding of the nation and the understanding of natural law and human rights.
However, the United States Constitution, notably, does not contain any references to God. This contrast between the two documents has been a subject of discussion and interpretation. While the Founding Fathers acknowledged and recognized the power and nature of God, they also wanted to establish a nation where religion, but not necessarily Christianity, would have a significant influence. They believed that promoting morality was the central value and purpose of religion and that virtually all religions could fulfill that purpose. As a result, they allowed for freedom of religion and did not intend to create a Christian nation.
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References to God in state constitutions
The US Constitution contains no reference to God. However, the nation's state constitutions differ in this regard. 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—those in 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 states that the people of Hawaii are "grateful 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.
The references to God in state constitutions largely imitate the ones made in the Declaration of Independence. The other mentions of God are found in provisions that stipulate people are free to worship according to the dictates of their consciences, or in a description of "an emergency caused by disaster or act of God," or in the "so help me God" of prescribed oaths, etc. They acknowledge God (or the "Creator," the "Supreme Ruler of the Universe," etc.) as the source of the people's liberties and many of them invoke His favor and guidance.
In ancient times and the Middle Ages, gods or God were normally invoked in contracts to guarantee the agreements made, and 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 customarily 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 carried this tradition over to their founding documents and then retained it, while others—notably laicist France and states influenced by it—did not do so, so as to preserve the state's religious neutrality. Some European countries whose constitutions do not make reference to God include Norway (1814), Luxembourg (1868/1972), Iceland (1944/68), Italy (1947), Portugal (1976), and Spain (1978).
When the newly independent nations of Eastern Europe and Asia adopted new democratic constitutions in the early 1990s following the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Eastern Bloc, they took a variety of approaches to the issue of mentioning God. The great majority of the new constitutions, including those of all ex-Soviet republics and dependent states except Hungary and Ukraine, make no mention of the supernatural in the preamble (Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, Slovenia, Serbia, and Montenegro), including those rooted in a Muslim background (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan), or have no preamble at all (Romania, Latvia, Albania, Armenia, and Azerbaijan). Instead, they make reference to secular values such as "liberty, justice, and law" (Estonia) or "the generally accepted principles in the modern world" (Croatia). The preambles to the Constitution of the Czech Republic and Slovakia do not mention God directly but refer to the country's "spiritual wealth" (Czech Republic) or to "the spiritual heritage of Cyril and Methodius" (Slovakia). Poland's and Ukraine's constitutional preambles contain a nominatio dei.
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Religion in the US government
The role of religion in the US government has been a topic of debate, with the country's founding documents, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, being scrutinized for references to God and religion. While the Declaration of Independence mentions God, the Constitution notably does not.
The Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson, contains several references to God and has been described as "American Scripture" in the nation's civil religion. The document's famous opening line, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," acknowledges a "Creator" or "Nature's God." This reference to a higher power as the source of natural law and guarantor of human rights is significant. However, it is important to note that the declaration does not include specifically Christian affirmations, and Jefferson himself was not a traditional Christian but a theist, skeptic, or deist.
In contrast, the United States Constitution contains no explicit references to God. This distinction has sparked questions about the intentions of the Founding Fathers and the founding principles of the nation. Despite the absence of religious language in the Constitution, the role of religion in the US government and society has been influential.
The First Amendment of the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, ensuring that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." This establishes a secular republic where legal authority is derived from the people rather than religion. The Founding Fathers, while acknowledging God in varying degrees, sought to create a nation where freedom of religion was valued, allowing for a diverse range of religious beliefs and practices.
The interpretation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment has been a subject of debate, with the "Wall of Separation" metaphor often used to describe the relationship between church and state. The exact nature of this separation and the extent to which religion should influence policy and law has been a continuous discussion in American politics.
In conclusion, while God is mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution omits any reference to a higher power. The Founding Fathers' views on religion varied, and they sought to establish a nation with religious freedom. The role of religion in the US government has evolved, with the Constitution guaranteeing secular governance while navigating the influence of religious values in society.
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Frequently asked questions
No, God is not mentioned in the US Constitution. However, some argue that the phrase "in the year of our Lord" is a reference to God.
Yes, several state constitutions mention God. For example, the constitutions of California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin, Washington, and the US territory Puerto Rico all refer to "God the Almighty" or the "Supreme Ruler of the Universe".
Yes, God is mentioned in the Declaration of Independence. The document contains four mentions of God, including references to "'Laws of Nature and Nature's God'" and "the Creator".
The references to God in the Declaration of Independence demonstrate the Founding Fathers' understanding of and trust in God. They believed that power and justice came from God, and that God had granted humans certain unalienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
The US Constitution takes a different approach to religion, guaranteeing that religion is never a requirement for holding public office. This reflects the Founding Fathers' intention to separate church and state.
