Jonah Patel
The U.S. Constitution never explicitly mentions God or the divine, but several amendments and state constitutions do. The First Amendment, for example, states that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The phrase the year of our Lord in Article VII is also a reference to God, as are mentions of a Supreme Being or Supreme Ruler of the Universe. While the U.S. Constitution does not mention God, the state constitutions of all but four states – Colorado, Iowa, Hawaii, and Washington – do. The inclusion or exclusion of God in constitutional texts is a highly debated topic, with some countries opting for secular values such as liberty, justice, and law instead.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| References to God | The U.S. Constitution does not mention God or the divine, except for the phrase "the Year of Our Lord" in Article VII. |
| References to Religion | The First Amendment, written in 1789, states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." |
| References in State Constitutions | All 50 state constitutions mention God or the divine at least once, with nearly 200 mentions overall. |
| Historical Context | The Declaration of Independence contains references to God, but these were added during revisions by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. |
| Amendments and Proposals | There have been various campaigns and proposals to recognize God in the Constitution, particularly during the Cold War and after the Supreme Court's ruling in Abington School District v. Schempp in 1963. |
| International Comparisons | Several countries' constitutions include references to God, often in the preamble, while others take a secular approach. |
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What You'll Learn
The US Constitution and the Bible
The US Constitution does not mention God or the Bible. However, it does use the formula "the Year of our Lord" in Article VII. The First Amendment to the US Constitution also states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion". This amendment ensures that interpretations and applications of religious texts, including the Bible, are left to individual consciences.
The US Constitution was drafted in 1787 by fifty-five delegates in Philadelphia. The majority of these delegates were Protestants, with most identifying as Episcopalians, Presbyterians, or Congregationalists. Some were Deists, and two were Roman Catholics. The Constitution was created to encompass all religious faiths, or none at all.
The Declaration of Independence, on the other hand, does contain references to God. The final Declaration includes an appeal "to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions" and an announcement of Congress's "firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence". The Declaration also states that people have God-given rights and that a tyrannical government can be altered or abolished.
The relationship between the US Constitution and the Bible is complex. While the Constitution does not directly mention the Bible, it has been influenced by biblical principles and values. The Bible was a strong and direct influence on the founding-era Americans who drafted and ratified the Constitution. Puritan constitutions in colonial Connecticut and Massachusetts, as well as the religiously tolerant colonies of Rhode Island and Pennsylvania, also influenced the Constitution's governing principles and laws. These colonies' laws and practices were inspired by and defended using the Bible. The Bible also played a significant role in shaping the moral, philosophical, and political beliefs that underpin the Constitution.
There have been campaigns to recognize God in the US Constitution, particularly during the Cold War, when Americans were asked to contrast themselves with the godless Soviet Union. From 1963 to 1965, members of Congress introduced 121 proposals to recognize God in the Constitution, known as the "Abington amendments". However, these proposals were largely symbolic and had little chance of passing.
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God in the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson, contains several references to God. The document begins by attributing the power to establish a nation to "the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God". This is followed by a reference to God as the "Creator", Who bestows upon humans their unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The third mention of God in the Declaration is as the "Supreme Judge of the World", signifying that justice emanates from God and not man. In the final sentence of the Declaration, the founders place their trust in "the protection of divine Providence".
While the Declaration of Independence makes several references to God, the United States Constitution, notably, does not. The Constitution's secular approach is evident in its absence of references to a deity, apart from the use of the phrase "the Year of our Lord" in Article VII. The First Amendment, penned in 1789, explicitly states that "Congress shall make no law" regarding the establishment of religion. This absence of religious references in the Constitution sparked various campaigns and proposals over the years to include recognition of God. However, these efforts did not lead to any amendments.
The founding fathers of the United States, who were predominantly devout believers, acknowledged and trusted in God. Their understanding of God's nature and power influenced the wording and principles of the Declaration of Independence. The references to God in the Declaration served to validate the assertion of independence and endow the document with legitimacy.
Christianity played a significant role in shaping the ideas and wording of the Declaration of Independence. The doctrine of equality, for instance, is rooted in the Christian belief that all people are created in the image of God and are therefore equal in His eyes. The eradication of slavery in the United States can also be traced back to this Christian ideal of equality. The Declaration's phrasing and concepts reflect the influence of Biblical Christians such as John Locke and William Blackstone, as well as the work of Scotch-Irish church elders in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.
While the Declaration of Independence includes references to God, it is important to note that the document's religious elements have been a subject of debate and interpretation across the religious spectrum. The references to God in the Declaration can be interpreted as an affirmation of the founders' religious faith, but they also served a practical purpose in justifying rebellion and establishing the legitimacy of certain rights.
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References to God in other constitutions
The constitutions of several nations contain references to God, most often in the preamble. A reference to God in a legal text is called invocatio dei ('invocation of God') if the text itself is proclaimed in the name of the deity. Such invocations of God are found in several European constitutional traditions, reflecting the strong position of established churches in those countries. 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 on this tradition. However, some countries, such as France, Norway, Luxembourg, Iceland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, chose to preserve their state's religious neutrality and did not include references to God in their constitutions.
The United States Constitution does not explicitly mention God, although it uses the formula "the year of our Lord" in Article VII. However, the state constitutions of the United States, except for Colorado, Iowa, Hawaii, and Washington, do refer to God at least once. The Massachusetts Constitution mentions God eight times, and the constitutions of New Hampshire and Vermont mention God six times each.
The Constitution of Ireland invokes God and Jesus in its preamble, and this invocation has been cited in Supreme Court rulings. The constitutions of Poland and Ukraine also contain a nominatio dei or 'naming of God'. The preambles of the constitutions of the Czech Republic and Slovakia do not directly mention God but refer to the country's "spiritual wealth" and "the spiritual heritage of Cyril and Methodius", respectively.
The Australian Constitution does not mention God, but the preamble of the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900, which is the enabling legislation enacted by the British Parliament, does include a reference to God. The United Kingdom does not have a codified constitution but a collection of legislation, legal customs, and precedent. However, documents like the Magna Carta, which are understood to be part of the UK's constitution, contain numerous references to God.
Canada's Constitution Act, adopted in 1867, also contains references to God, which were carried over to additions made in 1982. The Basic Law of Saudi Arabia mentions God, stating that "God's Book and the Sunna of His Prophet" are the country's constitution.
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The First Amendment
> Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
The precise meaning of the Establishment Clause, which addresses the relationship between church and state, can be traced back to the beginning of the 19th century. Thomas Jefferson wrote about the First Amendment and its restriction on Congress in an 1802 reply to the Danbury Baptists, a religious minority that was concerned about the dominant position of the Congregational church in Connecticut. He wrote:
> Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof", thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.
The Supreme Court has affirmed this interpretation of the First Amendment on many occasions, although not always with unanimous support. In Torcaso v. Watkins (1961), the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution prohibits states and the federal government from requiring any kind of religious test for public office. In Board of Education of Kiryas Joel Village School District v. Grumet (1994), the Court concluded that "government should not prefer one religion to another, or religion to irreligion."
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Religious tests for office
The US Constitution does not make any reference to God. However, it does use the formula "the year of our Lord" in Article VII. The Declaration of Independence, on the other hand, contains several references to God, which were added during revisions to Thomas Jefferson's original draft.
The No Religious Test Clause, or Article VI, Clause 3, of the United States Constitution states:
> Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.
This clause was introduced by Charles Pinckney, a delegate from South Carolina, where a Protestant denomination was the established state religion. It passed with little opposition. The No Religious Test Clause was added to the Constitution to prevent the return of the Test Acts, which were common in England during the 17th and 18th centuries. These acts were designed to exclude anyone who was not a member of the Church of England, the official state religion, from holding government office. Government officials were often required to swear oaths, such as the Oath of Supremacy, declaring that the monarch of England was the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and that they had no other foreign loyalties, such as to the pope.
Despite the No Religious Test Clause, some states continued to require officeholders to have specific religious beliefs or to take oaths that included references to God. For example, Pennsylvania's constitution specifically protects officeholders with religious beliefs but does not mention whether those without such beliefs are also protected. In 1961, the US Supreme Court unanimously ruled that these state provisions violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments and were therefore unenforceable. However, as recently as 1997, a South Carolina Supreme Court ruling was needed to overturn a similar requirement in that state's constitution.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the US Constitution never explicitly mentions God or the divine.
The US Constitution uses the formula "the year of our Lord" in Article VII, but it does not mention a deity. The First Amendment also announces that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
Yes, God or the divine is mentioned at least once in each of the 50 state constitutions and nearly 200 times overall.
Yes, there have been attempts to include God in the Constitution, especially during the Cold War when Americans were asked to contrast themselves with a godless Soviet Union. From 1963 to 1965, members of Congress introduced 121 proposals to recognise God in the Constitution.
