Did you know that almost half the signers of the Declaration of Independence, as well as most every Founding Father, graduated from orthodox Christian teaching seminaries?
Many of our Founding Fathers that graduated from seminaries were considered church elders or church officers. Here is a small list of those involved in the original Congress or later signed the Declaration of Independence:
Samuel Adams, Father of the Revolution
John Hancock, the first signer of the Declaration and acting president
Robert Treat Paine
John Lowell
John Treadwell
Rev. Joseph Montgomery
Rev. James Manning
Pastor John Joachim Zubly
Many ministers of the original Congress went on to serve in Congress like Rev. Abiel Foster, Rev. Benjamin Contee, Rev. Abraham Baldwin, Rev. Paine Wingate, Rev. John Peter Muhlenberg, and his brother Rev. Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg who later became the first Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Some of these Church officers who signed the Constitution included Hugh Williamson, Rufus King, and William Samuel Johnson.
My travels across America allow me the wonderful privilege to exalt what the Congress of 1854 labeled, “The great, vital, and conservative element in our system…the belief of our people in the pure doctrines and the divine truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Noah Webster, Founding Father and author of the first American dictionary, boldly stated, “[T]he religion which has introduced civil liberty is the religion of Christ and His apostles… This is genuine Christianity and to this, we owe our free constitutions of government.”
Unfortunately, many of the institutions of learning that I am invited to speak in hold a so-called “politically correct” viewpoint that argues pluralism – the acceptance and celebration of differing religions, philosophies, and ideologies – will maintain justice, freedom, and peace in America.
Though diversity of culture and backgrounds is the beauty of America, this is not the source of our blessings; rather it is the Christian foundation of America that has made our nation so free.
“The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity”, said John Adams, who also declared, “The Christian religion is, above all the religions that ever prevailed or existed in ancient or modern times, the religion of wisdom, virtue, equity, and humanity.”
International diplomat and Founding Father Benjamin Franklin minced no words when he declared, “As to Jesus of Nazareth, my opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the system of morals and His religion as He left them to us, the best the world ever saw or is likely to see.”
Let me pose a question: When we eliminate biblical standards and then allow paganism or immoral philosophies of other religions to become paramount in American polity, do we experience enhanced freedom?
Those who founded and fought for our American culture and our American form of government didn’t think so. In fact, they had a very different view reflected in another resolute statement by Noah Webster, stating, “[T]he Christian religion… is the basis, or rather the source, of all genuine freedom in government.”
From colonial America’s seminaries to the architects of America’s founding documents, to the preservation of Liberty in America…there is one common theme: the Christian Religion.
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