Think Christian on the 4th of July

Christian Thought and America's Founding 

As we celebrate our nation's birthday, how can we think Christian about our country's founding? In today's hyper-polarized climate, many Americans are unclear about the role Christianity played in our nation's founding. While some argue that the Founding Fathers were intentionally vague regarding their religious commitments, others see a strong commitment to the Christian faith throughout the founding documents. Wherever you fall in the debate, it seems hard to deny that Christian thought animated much of the thinking that formed our union. 

Imago Dei and Human Rights 

The doctrine that all humans bear God's image provided the theological foundation for the Declaration's assertion that people are "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights." If humans reflect God's image, they possess inherent dignity and worth that cannot be taken away by government. Our nation's commitment to dialogue and the free exchange of ideas is rooted in the fact that dialogue and healthy debate are ways in which we recognize the dignity of rational creatures. Reasonable people generally agree that human rights exist and must be protected, but apart from the doctrine of the Imago Dei, we are left with a fragile foundation on which human rights can be protected. 

Depravity and Separation of Powers 

There is much debate today about the nature of humanity—are we essentially good or evil? The Preamble of the Constitution implies that humans are worthy of dignity and capable of self-governance. It also recognizes that creatures made in the image of God have "unalienable rights" by nature of their status as image-bearers (although it would take time for these rights to be afforded to all, the principle was established). At the same time, the structure of the Constitution creates an elaborate system of checks and balances precisely because the Christian doctrine of human depravity was ingrained in the cultural ethos. James Madison's famous line in Federalist 51 notes, "If men were angels, no government would be necessary." While the Founders seem to recognize that creatures bearing God's image are capable of "proximal good" (we are capable of good acts, but they are not salvific), they also recognized that "sin was always crouching at our door." Consequently, it seems our concept of limited government and separation of powers is the result of thinking Christian about human nature. 

Religious Freedom and Protection of Conscience 

Protestant theology focuses on a doctrine called "the priesthood of the believer." This doctrine recognizes that individuals have direct access to God through Christ. Protestant Christianity acknowledges that there is no human intermediary to serve as a "go-between" with God. This theological principle means that no earthly authority should interfere with a person's relationship with God. Since each person serves as their own priest before God, faith must be genuine and voluntary rather than coerced. Forced religion contradicts the very nature of the priesthood of all believers—you cannot compel someone to fulfill their priestly role before God. This theological insight provided powerful ammunition for arguing that civil government should not compel religious conformity, since coerced faith is no faith at all. Baptist preachers such as John Leland argued that humans are truth seekers by nature; therefore, no magistrate ought to interfere with one's search for truth because, through the searching process, one may be awakened to the reality of the Gospel. Baptists, in particular, knew what it was like to face religious persecution; therefore, they became some of the most prominent advocates for religious freedom at the time of our founding. Thomas Jefferson's often misunderstood use of the phrase "wall of separation" was lifted from the Baptist founder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams. Williams spoke about a "wall of separation between the garden of the church and the wilderness of the world." Contrary to its current, often misunderstood use, the wall of separation was meant to protect the church from the power of the state; it was never intended to keep religious ideals from influencing the state. Jefferson's use of the term reflects that Christian thought had a profound influence on the founding of our nation. 

Why Does It Matter? 

We must acknowledge the significant contributions that Christianity has made to Western civilization. As the West paganizes, one has to wonder where we will find principles that can support human dignity, the right of conscience, and stave off despotism. On the 4th of July, let us consider how God’s providence worked in the forming of the nations.

Job 12:23