Simone Lawson
The US Constitution does not mention God, Jesus Christ, or Christianity. However, it does use the formula the year of our Lord in Article VII. The US Constitution also makes no mention of a specific religion and instead focuses on establishing freedom of religion and the separation of church and state. This is in contrast to the Declaration of Independence, which mentions God four times and reflects the founders' intent on the issue of human rights and civil liberties. While the US Constitution does not reference a specific religion, it is worth noting that God or the divine is mentioned in the constitutions of all 50 states, with nearly 200 mentions overall.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Mention of God | The US Constitution does not mention God, Jesus Christ, or Christianity. However, it uses the formula "the year of our Lord" in Article VII. |
| Mention of Religion | The US Constitution contains the word "religion" twice, in Article 6 and the First Amendment. |
| Religious Tests for Public Office | Religious tests as a requirement for holding public office were abolished, with the exception of a few states that still have constitutional provisions disqualifying non-believers. |
| Freedom of Religion | The US Constitution establishes freedom of religion and the separation of church and state. |
| Diversity | The US is a diverse country with people from various races, religions, and languages. |
| State Constitutions | All 50 state constitutions mention God or the divine at least once, with nearly 200 mentions overall. |
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What You'll Learn
The US Constitution does not mention God, Jesus Christ, or Christianity
The Constitution bars all laws from "respecting an establishment of religion" while also protecting "the free exercise thereof". The founding fathers' religion was not always clear, and many of them believed in a God who rewarded good and punished evil in the afterlife. They respected the moral teachings of Christ and hoped that they would prosper among Americans and in the churches. Deism was a popular belief at the time—the belief in God as the creator of all things, but not as a miracle worker or one that answers prayers.
The US Constitution contains the word "religion" only twice: in Article 6, which exempts government office holders from a religious test, and in the First Amendment. The founding fathers did not establish Christianity as America's official religion, but they did create a system that gave Christianity and every other religion the freedom to exist and flourish.
The Declaration of Independence, on the other hand, reflects the minds of the founders on the issue of human rights and civil liberties. It mentions God four times, referring to God as "Nature's God," "Creator," "Supreme Judge of the World," and "divine Providence." The Declaration's most famous phrase is: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." This is a theological statement that affirms the existence of God and claims that God is responsible for the existence of all human beings.
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The US Constitution does not establish a Christian nation
The United States Constitution does not establish a Christian nation. The US Constitution does not mention Christianity or any specific religion. While the Declaration of Independence proclaims that people's rights come from a "Creator" and "Nature's God", it does not specify who that is. The US Constitution prohibits any religious test for office, and its First Amendment bars congressional establishment of any religion, along with guaranteeing the free exercise of religion.
The Founding Fathers of the United States held a mix of beliefs—some Christian, some Unitarian, some deistic or otherwise theistic. Some key founders, like Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin, viewed Jesus as a great teacher but not as God. Jefferson even created his own Bible, which was a compilation of the four Gospels rearranged chronologically, omitting all miracles and concluding with Jesus's death. There is no resurrection in his version.
The US Constitution does not mention God, although it uses the formula "the year of our Lord" in Article VII. At the state level, the constitutions of several states make reference to God. They generally use an invocation of "God the Almighty" or the "Supreme Ruler of the Universe". However, it is important to note that the US Constitution takes precedence over state constitutions and laws, and the US Supreme Court has ruled that such provisions in state constitutions violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
While many Americans, particularly Republicans and supporters of former President Donald Trump, believe that the US was founded as a Christian nation, this belief is not supported by the US Constitution or the consensus documents. The concept of Christian nationhood is complex, and while some of the original 13 states funded Protestant churches, within a few decades all had followed Virginia's example in halting the practice. The Founding Fathers prioritized religious freedom, and the US Constitution does not create a Christian nation.
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The US Constitution's religious neutrality
The United States Constitution is a secular document that does not reference God, unlike the country's Declaration of Independence. The Founding Fathers chose not to include any mention of a “higher power” in the Constitution, instead focusing on establishing a nation with freedom of conscience and religion for all its citizens. This absence of religious references in the US Constitution is a notable feature, especially when compared to other nations' constitutions, which often invoke God or a supreme being.
While the US Constitution itself does not mention God, some have argued that it includes generic references to a divine power. Phrases such as "Nature's God," "Creator," and "Supreme Judge" can be interpreted by adherents of various theistic sects as referring to their own deity. However, these references are not explicit and can also be understood in a non-sectarian way, reflecting the Founding Fathers' intention to embrace religious diversity.
At the state level, the constitutions of several US states do include explicit references to God. States such as Georgia, Maine, and Texas, among others, invoke "God the Almighty" or the "Sovereign Ruler of the Universe" in their constitutions. These states often emphasize their reliance on divine guidance and protection while establishing their governments. However, even in these cases, the references are generally non-denominational and do not favor a specific religious interpretation.
The US Supreme Court has played a significant role in interpreting and upholding the religious neutrality of the Constitution. The Court has ruled on numerous cases involving the First Amendment, the Free Exercise Clause, and the Establishment Clause, ensuring that laws and government actions remain neutral toward religion. For example, in the 1961 case involving religious tests for public office, the Court unanimously ruled that disqualifying non-believers from holding office violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments. The Court's decisions have helped shape a legal framework that respects religious diversity and maintains the separation of church and state.
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The US Constitution's freedom of religion
The United States Constitution does not make a direct reference to God. However, it does use the formula "the year of our Lord" in Article VII. Interestingly, the Declaration of Independence, which also invokes a Supreme Being, was written by the same founding fathers.
The US Constitution, through its First Amendment, protects freedom of religion. The First Amendment was adopted on December 15, 1791, as one of the ten amendments that constitute the Bill of Rights. The First Amendment prevents Congress from making laws that establish a religion or prohibit the free exercise of religion. It also protects freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, the freedom of assembly, and the right to petition the government for redress of grievances.
The Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment are often referred to as the religious liberty clauses. The Establishment Clause prohibits any governmental "establishment of religion," while the Free Exercise Clause prohibits governmental interference with "the free exercise thereof." These clauses ensure governmental neutrality in matters of religion and encompass the two main arenas of religion in constitutional law: endorsement/involvement and Americans' rights to practice their faith.
The US Constitution's approach to freedom of religion contrasts with the approaches taken by some other countries. For example, several European states, including Ireland and Canada, have carried on the tradition of invoking God in their constitutions. On the other hand, some countries, like France, have chosen to preserve state religious neutrality by not including any mention of God in their founding documents.
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The US Constitution's separation of church and state
The concept of the separation of church and state in the US Constitution is often interpreted from the First Amendment, which states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof". This clause, known as the Establishment Clause, was first used in jurisprudence in the Reynolds v. United States case in 1878. The Supreme Court has interpreted the First Amendment to mean that the Constitution requires the separation of church and state.
The metaphor of a wall of separation between church and state was first used by Roger Williams, a minister, lawyer, and merchant who founded Rhode Island. Williams believed that a true Christian church could only exist independently of the state, and that government involvement would corrupt the church. He wanted to ensure that people could worship freely and that the government could not infringe on their freedom of conscience, or what he called "soul freedom". Thomas Jefferson, in his 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, used Williams' metaphor when he wrote that the establishment clause built a "wall of separation between church and state".
The Fourteenth Amendment, one of the post-Civil War amendments, has also been used to ensure the separation of church and state in regard to state governments. The incorporation of the First Amendment establishment clause in the landmark case of Everson v. Board of Education affected the interpretation of the separation of church and state with respect to state governments.
While the US Constitution at the federal level does not make a direct reference to God, some have argued that certain appellations of God in the Constitution, such as "Nature's God" and "Creator", refer to the God they worship. However, these terms can also be interpreted as non-sectarian concepts of divinity. The US Constitution also uses the formula "the year of our Lord" in Article VII. At the state level, the constitutions of several states make references to God, generally invoking "God the Almighty" or the "Supreme Ruler of the Universe".
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Frequently asked questions
No, the US Constitution does not mention God, Jesus Christ, or Christianity. However, it does use the formula "the year of our Lord" in Article VII.
Yes, the Declaration of Independence mentions God four times, referring to God as "Nature's God," "Creator," "Supreme Judge of the World," and "divine Providence."
Yes, 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.
