The US Constitution: Morality, Knowledge, and Religion

Introduction

Many ideas and principles inspired the founding fathers in the creation of the US Constitution, including the French Revolution, the Greek model of democracy, the works of Locke, and other philosophers, as Beliles and Anderson explain.¹ Religion was also one of these essential parts, as it is generally believed. However, in recent years, this assumption has been questioned by scholars. Furthermore, it also seems to be gaining the public’s sentiment, with the current act to remove the phrase “In God We Trust” from all banknotes. This concern about the influence of religion on the state and its government is valid, and it has bene brewing for decades, according to Beliles and Anderson.² One of the supporting examples could be Iran, the only identified theocracy in the world known for its dictatorship of faith and numerous human rights violations. However, it is undeniable that the founding fathers could have been influenced by the religious principles of morality, looking at the evidence of their faith.

Values of the French Revolution and US Independence

Knowledge and morality are the core of philosophy in creating the US Constitution. The French Revolution heavily inspired American War for Independence³. Therefore, it is important to look at the philosophy surrounding the French Revolution to understand the founding of the US.⁴. Philosophers like Hobbes claimed that only a monarch or, in some other connotations, God’s child, can make choices for these people with limited capacity⁵. In other words, the religion was also coopted to see the monarch as the only chosen one blessed with God’s voice. However, people started to realize that they are equal, and everyone is God’s child. Thus, they rebelled against monarchs in the case of the French Revolution and fought for independence in the case of the US War for Independence.

Religious Morality in US Constitution

As mentioned before, the main principle that inspired the US Constitution is the inherent equality of human beings, which can be traced to religion. There are many implications of this principle in the Bible, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”⁶. For God, every creation is equal; thus, people have a right to decide for themselves and self-govern. The same sentiment is expressed in the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal”⁷. The same thought culminates in the US Constitution, “No State shall make or enforce any law…deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws”⁸. In other words, people shall be equal in the eyes of the morality based on religion, which reflects in the US Constitution.

Admittedly, with the sharp rise in diversity observed within the American community, the staunch adherence to Christian principles as the sole faith-based ideas that must be incorporated into the legal system might seem outdated. Indeed, given the necessity to acknowledge the rights of others to adhere to their beliefs, foisting Christianity-based legal standards on the specified minority populations does not seem reasonable. Therefore, the existing legal standards need to be designed based on ethical standards that are disconnected from Christianity and are aligned with universal humanistic values instead. Thus, the beliefs in question could be incorporated into the legal standards yet they need to be generalized to the point where they would not infringe upon the beliefs of others, while also supporting essential principles of justice and democracy.

Conclusion: Implications of Religious Morality in US Politics

The values of religion, morality, and knowledge combined in the US Constitution allowed people to be free to hold any beliefs and practice any religion. In the past, it largely meant Christianity, as most of the population was Protestant. Now, as the US becomes more diverse, the foundations of the US Constitution mean the freedom to practice other religions by anyone in equal right⁹. Therefore, the basic morals of the religion still influence the foundations of US politics.

Bibliography

Eduardo Baker, Thinking the French Revolution (and Law), Human Rights and Humanity’s Rights During Year Three of the French Revolution 35 (2022).

Galatians 3:28 (New International Version)

Mark A. Beliles, and Douglas S. Anderson, Contending for the Constitution: Recalling the Christian Influence on the Writing of the Constitution and the Biblical Basis of American Law and Liberty 71 (2015).

Tisa Wenger and Johnson A. Sylvester, Religion and US Empire: Critical New Histories 109 (2018).

US 1776

U.S. CONST. amend. XIV, § 1

Footnotes

1. Mark A. Beliles, and Douglas S. Anderson, Contending for the Constitution: Recalling the Christian Influence on the Writing of the Constitution and the Biblical Basis of American Law and Liberty, 15 (2015).
2. Ibid.
3. Tisa Wenger and Johnson A. Sylvester, Religion and US Empire: Critical New Histories 109 (2018).
4. Eduardo Baker, Thinking the French Revolution (and Law), Human Rights and Humanity’s Rights During Year Three of the French Revolution 35 (2022). Web.
5. Eduardo Baker, Thinking the French Revolution (and Law), Human Rights and Humanity’s Rights During Year Three of the French Revolution 35 (2022). Web.
6. Galatians 3:28 (New International Version).
7. US 1776.
8. U.S. CONST. amend. XIV, § 1.
9. Mark A. Beliles, and Douglas S. Anderson, Contending for the Constitution: Recalling the Christian Influence on the Writing of the Constitution and the Biblical Basis of American Law and Liberty, 71 (2015).