Omar Bennett
The inclusion of God in national constitutions has been a topic of debate since the founding of the United States in 1776. While the US Constitution does not explicitly mention God or the divine, it uses the formula the year of our Lord in Article VII. This phrase is also found in state constitutions, which mention God or the divine at least once, and nearly 200 times overall. The Declaration of Independence, on the other hand, contains several references to God, including 'Nature's God,' Creator, and Supreme Judge. In contrast to the US, some European countries, such as Norway, Luxembourg, and Iceland, have constitutions that do not make reference to God, while others, like Ireland, explicitly invoke God and Jesus in their preambles. The inclusion of God in constitutions reflects the strong position of established churches in those countries and the tradition of invoking God in legal documents.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Countries with a reference to God in their constitution | Ireland, Canada, Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Islamic countries, and several European countries |
| The US federal constitution does not explicitly mention God, but 49 out of 50 state constitutions do | |
| The US constitution does use the formula "the year of our Lord" in Article VII | |
| Countries without a reference to God in their constitution | Norway, Luxembourg, Iceland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, France |
| References to God in historical documents | In ancient times and the Middle Ages, gods or God were invoked in contracts to guarantee agreements |
| The Declaration of Independence contains several references to God, including "the Supreme Judge of the World" and "the protection of Divine Providence" | |
| The US Constitution mentions Jesus as God in the ratification clause, "in the Year of Our Lord" 1787 | |
| The US Constitution is predicated on the Declaration of Independence, which mentions God four times and states that rights come from the "Creator" | |
| Campaigns to include God in the US Constitution | 1894, 1908, the 1940s-1950s, 1963-1965 (121 proposals), 1985-1995, 2005 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
The US Constitution and God
The United States Constitution is a secular document that does not explicitly mention God or the divine. However, it does use the formula "the year of our Lord" in Article VII, which is a customary way of recording dates at the time. This phrase is also used in the constitutions of several other countries, including Canada and Ireland, and was common in treaties between Christian nations until the late 19th century.
The absence of a direct reference to God in the US Constitution may seem surprising given that the Declaration of Independence, one of the key founding documents of the nation, mentions God four times and states that rights come from the "Creator". The Founding Fathers who drafted the Declaration invoked a Supreme Being, while those who drafted the Constitution did not mention a higher power. This variation in approach reveals a lot about the founding principles of the United States.
Some skeptics argue that the Founding Fathers intentionally omitted any mention of God in the Constitution, creating a "Godless Constitution". However, others disagree, pointing out that the Constitution does mention God in the ratification clause, which states that it was written “in the Year of Our Lord” 1787. Law professor John Eidsmoe supports this view, comparing the omission of the ratification clause to excluding the attestation clause from a will.
The debate around including God in the Constitution has sparked numerous congressional actions and amendment proposals over the years, particularly during the Cold War era 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 eventually subsided, and none of them succeeded in amending the Constitution.
While the US Constitution does not explicitly mention God, all 50 state constitutions do, with nearly 200 references to God or the divine overall. Most state constitutions refer to God more than once, with eight mentions in Massachusetts, and six each in New Hampshire and Vermont. These references include appellations such as "Supreme Being", "Supreme Ruler of the Universe", and "Almighty".
Demotion and Constructive Termination: Arizona's Legal Perspective
You may want to see also
State constitutions and God
The inclusion of God in state constitutions has been a topic of debate, with some countries choosing to include references to God or the divine, while others opt for secular language. In the United States, the federal constitution does not explicitly mention God or the divine, but this is not the case for the nation's state constitutions. 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.
The constitutions of 34 states refer to God more than once, with Massachusetts leading the way with eight references. New Hampshire and Vermont follow closely with six references each. Interestingly, only four state constitutions—Colorado, Iowa, Hawaii, and Washington—refrain from using the word "God," opting instead for terms like "Supreme Being" or "Supreme Ruler of the Universe." Hawaii's constitution includes a reference to the divine in its preamble, expressing gratitude for "Divine Guidance."
The inclusion of God in state constitutions is not unique to the United States. Several European countries, including Ireland, have invoked God in their constitutional preambles. The concept of “natural law," derived from religious beliefs, has been used to elucidate unenumerated rights. However, countries like France have chosen to preserve religious neutrality in their constitutions.
When newly independent nations in Eastern Europe and Asia adopted democratic constitutions in the early 1990s, they took varied approaches. Some made no mention of the supernatural in their preambles, while others referenced secular values such as "liberty, justice, and law." The inclusion of God or the divine in state constitutions reflects the historical and cultural context of each nation, shaping the interpretation and implementation of laws within their jurisdictions.
In summary, the inclusion of God in state constitutions varies across different states and nations. While some choose to include explicit references to God or the divine, others opt for secular language or indirect acknowledgments. The United States, with its state constitutions, showcases a diverse range of approaches to addressing the role of God in legal and governmental contexts.
Inducible, Repressible, and Constitutive Genes: Understanding the Differences
You may want to see also
The Declaration of Independence and God
The Declaration of Independence is a document that was written to announce that the American colonies were no longer under British rule and were now independent states. The document was written by Thomas Jefferson and edited by his fellow delegates. It was adopted on July 4, 1776, officially cutting ties with Britain.
The Declaration of Independence contains several references to God, each of which demonstrates the founders' understanding of God's nature and power. The first mention of God occurs in the very first sentence of the declaration, which refers to the source of power being the "Laws of Nature and of Nature's God." The beginning of this powerful document openly acknowledges that power comes from God. The founders recognized that they had not created the power to establish a nation but rather that power was given to them by God.
The second mention of God in the Declaration of Independence is as the Creator Who endows humans with unalienable rights. In other words, God is the granter of human rights and the Creator of natural law. The third mention of God is as the Great Judge of the Universe and Protector of all mankind. The final sentence of the declaration says, "with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor." The founders entrusted themselves to God, whom they believed had protected them and would continue to do so.
The references to God in the Declaration of Independence are not surprising when considering the religious beliefs of the Founding Fathers. Most of the Founding Fathers, at a minimum, acknowledged God, and many worshipped Him as devout believers. The concepts and words of the Declaration of Independence are rooted in Christianity. Thomas Jefferson drew many of his ideas from John Locke and William Blackstone, both Biblical Christians. He also reflected the work of a group of twenty-seven Scotch-Irish church elders in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, who drafted their own Declaration in May 1775.
While the Declaration of Independence contains several references to God, the United States Constitution does not contain any explicit mentions of God or the divine. However, it does use the formula "the year of our Lord" in Article VII, which is a reference to God in a broader sense. Additionally, God or the divine is mentioned in every state constitution in the United States, with nearly 200 mentions overall.
Enlightenment's Impact on Constitution Architects
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Religion's role in the US
The United States Constitution does not explicitly mention God or the divine. However, it does use the formula "the year of our Lord" in Article VII, which is a common way of recording dates at the time and does not imply the Christian God. The nation's state constitutions, on the other hand, do refer to God or the divine. In fact, God or the divine is mentioned at least once in each of the 50 state constitutions and nearly 200 times overall.
The Founding Fathers' faith and the documents they produced, such as the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution, are frequently referenced in debates about the role of religion in the United States. The Declaration, for instance, mentions God several times, referring to Him as the "Great Judge of the Universe" and "Protector of all mankind."
Christianity is the most widely professed religion in the United States, with the majority of Americans being Evangelicals, Mainline Protestants, or Catholics. However, the dominance of Christianity has declined in recent decades, and as of 2012, Protestants no longer formed a majority in the US. The United States has the largest Christian and Protestant population in the world. Judaism is the second-largest religion, practiced by 2% of the population, followed by Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam, each with 1%.
According to a 2023 Gallup poll, about three-quarters of Americans identify with a specific religious faith, with 68% identifying with a Christian religion, including 33% who are Protestant, 22% Catholic, and 13% who identify with another Christian denomination or simply as "Christian." Seven percent identify with a non-Christian religion, including 2% who are Jewish, 1% Muslim, and 1% Buddhist, among others. Twenty-two percent of Americans said they had no religious preference, and 3% did not answer.
The decline in formal church membership has been driven largely by younger generations of Americans, with slightly more than one-third of young adults having no religious affiliation. Even older adults with a religious preference are less likely to belong to a church today than in the past. According to a 2013 Public Religion Research Institute survey, 31% of Americans attend religious services at least weekly. A 2022 Gallup poll found that 75% of Americans pray often or sometimes, and religion plays a very (46%) or fairly (26%) important role in their lives.
Ohio Constitution: Power to the People?
You may want to see also
God in European constitutions
References to God or religion are present in the constitutions of several European countries. Only five of the 27 European Union member states' constitutions include the word "God" in their texts. These include Germany, whose preamble states:
> Conscious of their responsibility before God and man, animated by this will [...], the German people have adopted, by virtue of their constituent power, this Basic Law.
The German Protestant Church considers this wording a benchmark that would also be suitable for the EU's constitutional treaty. However, critics argue that the EU is a secular institution that should remain neutral in its worldview, accommodating citizens with and without religious beliefs.
Poland's constitution also contains a reference to God in its preamble, acknowledging the nation's Catholic influences:
> We -- the Polish nation -- that is both those who believe in God as the source of truth, justice, good and beauty, as well as those not sharing such faith, but respecting those universal values as arising from other sources [...].
Other countries whose constitutions mention God include Ireland, whose preamble invokes God and Jesus and has been cited in Supreme Court rulings. The constitutions of some European countries, such as Italy, Spain, and Germany, also refer to "religious communities" and the equality of religious commitments before the law.
On the other hand, some European countries have deliberately excluded references to God in their constitutions to preserve religious neutrality. Examples include France, Norway (1814), Luxembourg (1868/1972), Iceland (1944/68), Italy (1947), Portugal (1976), and Spain (1978). The French constitution, for instance, emphasizes the country's secular nature, stating that "France is an indivisible, secular, democratic, and social republic."
The Constitution: Static or Living Document?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
No, 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, which is a reference to God.
Some people argue that the US Constitution does mention God in the ratification clause, which was done "in the Year of Our Lord" 1787. However, this is debated, with skeptics claiming that this is merely a custom and does not hold any weight in claiming that the Christian God is implied.
Yes, the Declaration of Independence, one of the key founding documents in American history, mentions God several times. It also states that their rights come from the "Creator".
Yes, several countries' constitutions contain references to God, including Ireland, Canada, Poland, Ukraine, and Russia (added in 2020). Some countries' constitutions refer to God indirectly, such as the Czech Republic and Slovakia, which refer to "spiritual wealth" and "spiritual heritage" respectively.
The US Constitution took a more secular approach when it was drafted in 1787. The Founding Fathers may have intended to create a "Godless Constitution" to preserve religious neutrality, as seen in laicist countries like France. However, there have been campaigns to recognize God in the Constitution, particularly during the Cold War and after the Supreme Court ruled against school-sponsored prayer.
