Simone Lawson
The inclusion or exclusion of God in the preamble to a constitution is a highly debated topic. While some nations' constitutions, such as Russia's, make explicit references to God, others, like the US Constitution, take a more secular approach. The US Constitution, drafted in 1787, does not mention God as a deity, reflecting the religious diversity of eighteenth-century America and promoting religious neutrality. This stands in contrast to the Declaration of Independence, which includes multiple references to God. The absence of God in the US Constitution has been a point of contention, with proposals to include God in the preamble emerging over the years, particularly during the mid-nineteenth century.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reasoning for elimination | The US Constitution is a secular document with a religiously neutral stance, promoting no sect and taking no position on theological issues. |
| Religious diversity in 18th-century America | Religion was viewed as a matter of individual choice. |
| References to God in state constitutions | 46 states mention "God" at least once. |
| Examples of state references | Arizona: "We, the people of the State of Arizona, grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution." |
| No formal introduction | Despite attempts by ministers and politicians to add God to the preamble, it was never formally introduced in Congress. |
| Examples of secular constitutions | Estonia's constitution refers to "liberty, justice, and law" instead of God. |
| Legitimizing state power | Some constitutions invoke God to legitimize power, declaring it is exercised per God's will. |
| Historical function | References to God in secular constitutions with a shared religious history can serve to anchor the state in tradition. |
| Court implications | In Canada, the mention of God in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms has had little legal effect. |
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What You'll Learn
The US Constitution's secular approach
The United States Constitution was drafted in 1787, eleven years after the Declaration of Independence. While the Declaration contains several references to God, the Constitution takes a notably secular approach. The only mention of a deity in the Constitution is the phrase "the Year of our Lord" in Article VII. The Preamble to the Constitution, which outlines its purposes, is entirely secular and makes no reference to God.
The secular nature of the US Constitution can be attributed to the religious diversity of eighteenth-century America and the view that religion was a matter of individual choice. The Constitution's authors acknowledged these realities and, unlike contemporary European political orders, promoted no particular sect and took no theological position. Instead, the Constitution establishes a strong national government based on popular sovereignty, deriving its legitimacy from the consent of the governed rather than from a higher power.
The absence of religious references in the US Constitution is in stark contrast to many state constitutions, which frequently invoke God or the divine. All but four state constitutions—those of Colorado, Iowa, Hawaii, and Washington—use the word "God" at least once. Some state constitutions even prohibit non-believers from holding public office, although these bans are generally not enforced due to the Constitution's prohibition on religious tests for public officeholders.
The question of whether to recognize a deity in the US Constitution has been a subject of debate since the nation's founding. In the nineteenth century, during the Second Great Awakening, there was a push by clergymen to amend the Preamble to include a reference to God. While this effort gained some political support, it never resulted in a formal introduction of an amendment onto the floor of Congress. Similarly, in 1863, a group of ministers proposed a revised, God-invoking version of the Preamble, which received a noncommittal response from Abraham Lincoln and some prominent politicians.
The secular approach of the US Constitution is also notable in comparison to the constitutions of other nations. Many countries, particularly those with a long constitutional history and a shared religious faith, include references to God or invocationes dei ('invocation of God') in their constitutions. However, in the early 1990s, newly independent nations in Eastern Europe and Asia that adopted democratic constitutions took a variety of approaches, with most opting for secular values rather than mentioning the supernatural in their preambles.
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Religious neutrality
The United States Constitution is notably secular in its language, with no mention of God in its preamble. This is despite the fact that the Declaration of Independence, a document serving a different purpose, contains several references to God. The Constitution's secular tone is a reflection of its stated purposes, its religious neutrality, and the theory of government it embodies.
The preamble to the Constitution declares its purposes as:
> "to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty."
These are wholly secular objects, and religious references would be extraneous in a document drafted to further them. Eighteenth-century America was a religiously diverse nation, and by the time of the Revolution, religion was widely viewed as a matter of individual choice. The Constitution acknowledged these realities and, unlike contemporary European political orders, promoted no particular sect and took no theological position.
The absence of God in the US Constitution is in contrast to the state constitutions, which often contain references to God or a "Supreme Being". All but four state constitutions—those of Colorado, Iowa, Hawaii, and Washington—use the word "God" at least once. Some state constitutions even prohibit non-believers from holding public office, although these bans are generally not enforced due to their conflict with the US Constitution's prohibition on religious tests for public officeholders.
The approach to including God in constitutional documents varies internationally. Some countries with a long constitutional history and a shared religious faith interpret references to God as serving a historical function, perpetuating the tradition of invocationes dei in older constitutions. For example, the preambles of some former Soviet republics and Muslim-majority countries in Asia and Eastern Europe adopted in the 1990s make no mention of the supernatural, instead referring to secular values. In contrast, Poland and Ukraine's constitutional preambles contain a nominatio dei, an explicit naming of God.
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Popular sovereignty
The concept of popular sovereignty emerged from a combination of ancient democratic models, biblical interpretations, and Enlightenment-era philosophical thought. The idea that political power resides with the people can be traced back to ancient Greek and Roman models of democracy. Additionally, biblical interpretations played a role, with the belief that God, as the Creator, granted mankind dominion over the earth, thus empowering people to choose their form of governance.
Philosophers such as John Locke further developed the idea of popular sovereignty in the 17th and 18th centuries. Locke argued that because all men are naturally equal and free, a just civil society is founded on popular sovereignty through the consent of the governed. This philosophy was echoed by Algernon Sidney and later affirmed by American founders like Alexander Hamilton.
The recognition of popular sovereignty in the United States Constitution has had a profound impact on democratic governance worldwide. It has become a standard by which democratic governments are established and legitimized. The American example has influenced the constitutions of other nations, such as the Czech Republic and Brazil, which explicitly acknowledge the sovereignty of their people in their respective constitutions.
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State constitutions and God
The US Constitution never explicitly mentions God or the divine. However, the same cannot be said of the nation's state constitutions. In fact, 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 only in its preamble, which states that the people of Hawaii are "grateful for Divine Guidance."
The references to God in the state constitutions largely imitate those made in the Declaration. 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. These references are almost always found in the preambles, alongside an unequivocal expression of popular authorship, and sometimes an enumeration of secular objects, that echoes the preamble of the federal constitution. For example, the preamble of Alabama's constitution states: "We, the people of the State of Alabama, in order to establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following Constitution and form of government for the State of Alabama."
The inclusion of references to God in state constitutions is not unique to the United States. Constitutional references to God exist in the constitutions of a number of nations, 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. A reference to God in another context is called nominatio dei ('naming of God'). Such invocationes and nominationes dei are found notably in several European constitutional traditions and in the constitutions of Islamic countries. Invocationes dei have a long tradition in European legal history outside national constitutions. 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 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, made no mention of the supernatural in the preamble. Instead, they referred to secular values such as "liberty, justice, and law" or "the generally accepted principles in the modern world." On the other hand, the preambles to the constitutions of Poland and Ukraine contain a nominatio dei, while those of the Czech Republic and Slovakia refer to the countries' "spiritual wealth" and "the spiritual heritage of Cyril and Methodius," respectively.
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God in the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson, contains several references to God. The introduction of the Declaration states that the "Laws of Nature and Nature's God" entitle the American people to a separate and equal station among the powers of the earth. This first mention of God in the very first sentence of the Declaration refers to the source of power and openly acknowledges that 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 reference to God in the Declaration is as the "Creator" who endows humans with unalienable rights. This idea of God as the granter of human rights and the Creator of natural law is further emphasized in the second paragraph, where the Founding Fathers refer to the "rights" that God has endowed all women and men with: "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
The third reference to God in the Declaration is as the "Supreme Judge of the world." The Founding Fathers recognized that justice is God's idea and that he judges the actions of all people, ensuring that true justice will prevail.
The final sentence of the Declaration of Independence contains the fourth reference to God, where the founders entrusted themselves to "the protection of divine Providence," whom they believed had protected them and would continue to do so: "with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."
These references to God in the Declaration of Independence are almost always found in the Preambles of state constitutions, acknowledging God as the source of the people's liberties and invoking His favor and guidance. However, the United States Constitution, which established a strong national government, contains no references to God. This is because the Constitution is a secular document that promotes religious neutrality and takes no position on theological issues, reflecting the religious diversity of eighteenth-century America.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the US Constitution does not mention God, except for the use of the phrase "the Year of our Lord" in Article VII.
Yes, the Declaration of Independence contains several references to God, including an appeal "to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions".
The US Constitution was drafted to be religiously neutral and promote no sect. The theory of government underpinning it is popular sovereignty, which means the government derives its power from the consent of the governed, not a higher power.
All but four state constitutions—those of Colorado, Iowa, Hawaii, and Washington—mention God at least once.
Yes, several countries have references to God in their constitution's preamble, including Ireland, Poland, and Ukraine.
