By David N. Harding, Staff Writer
When the Founding Fathers declared America’s independence in 1776, they did more than break from a tyrannical monarchy. They set in motion a revolutionary idea—that liberty is not granted by government, but endowed by our Creator. That simple, powerful truth, rooted in Christian theology, became the cornerstone of a nation built on freedom, moral order, and human dignity. Despite modern attempts to erase this truth from textbooks and public discourse, it is undeniable: Christianity is not just part of America’s history—it is the wellspring from which our freedoms flow.
Christianity at the Foundation
It’s no coincidence that the Declaration of Independence refers to “Nature’s God,” “the Creator,” and “divine Providence.” These weren’t vague, symbolic gestures—they were expressions of belief grounded in the Christian worldview. As John Adams once wrote, “The general principles on which the Fathers achieved independence were…the general principles of Christianity” (Adams to Jefferson, 1813). The Founders, though diverse in denominational beliefs, were steeped in a Christian moral framework that emphasized individual worth, self-governance, and accountability before a higher power.
The Christian ethic emphasized that each person is made in the image of God—an idea that formed the moral backbone of America’s founding documents. From this belief flowed a radical political assertion: that no king, parliament, or even popular majority could rightfully strip someone of life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness. It was a worldview diametrically opposed to the hierarchical, divine-right monarchies of Europe.
The Role of Christian Institutions
Early American institutions reflected this foundation. Education, for example, was heavily shaped by Christian convictions. Harvard, Yale, and Princeton were all originally established to train Christian ministers. As Alexis de Tocqueville observed in his seminal 1835 work Democracy in America, “There is no country in the world where the Christian religion retains a greater influence over the souls of men than in America.” Tocqueville, a French political thinker, marveled at how American democracy flourished precisely because of—not in spite of—its deep-rooted Christian culture.
From the abolition of slavery to the civil rights movement, it was Christian theology that fueled moral resistance to injustice. The hymn “Amazing Grace” was penned by a former slave trader turned Christian reformer. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. quoted Scripture in nearly every speech he gave. Christian leaders like William Wilberforce in Britain and Charles Finney in America didn’t just believe in justice—they believed justice was a divine mandate.
Christianity Created the Freedom for All
Here’s the paradox the Left doesn’t want to admit: it is precisely because Christianity shaped the American moral and legal framework that other religions have flourished here.
The First Amendment’s guarantee of religious liberty did not emerge from secular pluralism—it was inspired by Christian dissenters who had suffered under state-imposed religion. Baptists, Quakers, and Puritans had long endured persecution in Europe and even in early colonies. They understood that true faith could not be coerced. When Thomas Jefferson penned the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom in 1777, he wasn’t rejecting Christianity—he was applying its teachings. “Almighty God hath created the mind free,” Jefferson wrote. That freedom, rooted in Christian theology, became the legal precedent for all others.
As conservative historian Rodney Stark notes, “It was Christian ideas about liberty and moral accountability that gave rise to Western freedoms, including the freedom of religion.” (The Victory of Reason, 2005). Today, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, atheists, and countless others can worship freely in the United States because the Christian framework of natural rights makes room for them—even when their beliefs conflict with the majority.
What We’re Losing
Tragically, as our culture turns away from its Christian roots, we risk losing not just moral clarity, but the very freedoms those roots established. Progressive activists argue for “separation of church and state” not as a shield for religious freedom, but as a sword to drive faith from the public square. School prayer is banned. Churches are pressured to conform to progressive ideology. Christian business owners face lawsuits for living out their beliefs. Ironically, the more we abandon the Christian ethic of liberty, the more oppressive our society becomes.
Yet, the Founders warned of this outcome. George Washington, in his Farewell Address, declared, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.” He added, “Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”
Conclusion: Faith as the Freedom Engine
America’s Christian heritage isn’t just a part of our story—it is the engine of our freedom. It gave us the moral clarity to oppose tyranny, the courage to correct our national sins, and the generosity to protect religious minorities. It taught us that liberty without virtue becomes license, and that justice without a higher standard becomes tyranny.
Christianity never demanded conformity—it demanded room to live faithfully. In doing so, it created room for everyone else. If we care about preserving that liberty, we must not silence the faith that made it possible. We must unapologetically defend our Christian foundations—not just for ourselves, but for the sake of all who benefit from the freedom it made possible.
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