Founding Fathers and their Views on Religious Liberty

This article explores the Founding Fathers' views on religious liberty and their interpretation of the First Amendment. It discusses how the principles of religious freedom are viewed today and the negative consequences of wrongful interpretations of the First Amendment.

Running head: FOUNDING FATHERS AND THEIR VIEWS ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Founding fathers and their views on religious liberty
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1FOUNDING FATHERS AND THEIR VIEWS ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
The Founding Fathers’ opinion on religious liberty
Religious liberty, or freedom of religion, forms the pillar of American history – the
very foundation on which the Founding Fathers founded the Constitution1. Right to freedom
of religion is central to the democracy of the United States; that is precisely why the First
Amendment was included as part of the Constitution2. The Founding Fathers, which included
James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin and others, were strong proponents
of religious liberty – the only weapon to combat the oppression and religious conflict that
America had seen in the bygone era.
Recognizing religion to be a unique entity on its own, the Founding Fathers took
adequate measures to separate religion from all other institutions; the Church was expected to
function independently of the government, so as to eradicate bias and prejudice3. To
propagate freedom of religion amongst the citizens, regulations and policies were imposed to
ensure that the integrity of all faiths was maintained. James Madison, one of the Founding
Fathers, once insisted on the importance of freeing the Church from the autonomy of the
government. He opined that the purpose of the First Amendment was to ensure that diverse
religions could flourish in America without fear of discrimination or oppression. America
was to be established as a democratic nation; it was thus necessary to draw an all
encompassing law on religious liberty4. The Founding Fathers demonstrated deep religious
values in writing the Constitution. They openly referred to Biblical passages and relied
heavily on the Ten Commandments.
1 Konvitz, Milton. Fundamental liberties of a free people: religion, speech, press, assembly. Routledge, 2018.
2 Barton, David. Original intent: The courts, the constitution, and religion. BookBaby, 2013.
3 Hemeyer, Julia Corbett, Michael Corbett, and J. Matthew Wilson. Politics and religion in the United States.
Routledge, 2014.
4 Fraser, James W. Between church and state: Religion and public education in a multicultural America . JHU
Press, 2016.

2FOUNDING FATHERS AND THEIR VIEWS ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
As a matter of fact, the Founding Fathers associated the concept of civil liberty with
religious freedom as well5. According to them, religious freedom could not be ascertained
without civil protection. However, religious and civil liberty, to the layman, was somewhat
ubiquitous, which have led to the birth of several misconceptions and myths. Yet, one
common belief prevailed – that loss of civil liberty would lead to loss of religious liberty as
well. Consequently, the First Amendment did not just grant the citizens the right to freedom
of religion, but also civil liberties essential for maintaining the former.
Interpretation of the Founding Fathers’ views on religion and religious liberty
For long, it was assumed that the United States had been established as a Christian
nation6. However, the First Amendment does not refer to God, Jesus or even Christianity for
that matter. To understand the Founding Fathers’ stance on religion and religious liberty, it is
important to study their own personal beliefs as well. These were mighty leaders, who stood
up for freedom of expression and every individual’s right to practice the religion of his
choice. If they made a choice to leave out the above mentioned references, it was not without
reason. History books and folk tales state that America was an exclusively Christian nation,
but there is no actual historical evidence to support the claim. In addition, the Founding
Fathers’ views were refuted on the basis that they did not explicitly state that the government
and church were to function as distinct entities. However, it must be understood that America
was never meant to be a nation standing on the foundations of one particular faith or
religion7.
A study of available documents from the period, including the speeches and
statements made by the succeeding presidents show that the government of the United States
5 Laycock, Douglas. "Religious liberty and the culture wars." (U. Ill. L. Rev. 2014), 839.
6 Green, Steven K. Inventing a Christian America: The myth of the religious founding. Oxford University Press,
2015.
7 Mack, Burton L. Myth and the Christian nation: A social theory of religion. Routledge, 2014.

3FOUNDING FATHERS AND THEIR VIEWS ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
was certainly meant to function separately from the Church. The Founding Fathers had years
of European history at their disposal; they were perfectly aware of the way Christian
governments had snatched away civil and religious liberties from the citizens, forcing them to
surrender to supremacy of the Church. A recent interpretation of the Constitution suggests
that the Founding Fathers implied freedom from all religion; however, such a claim is
outrageous and must be negated. The Founding Fathers were not against religion, nor were
they in favor of silencing any expression of religious sentiments. There is no doubt about the
fact that religious freedom and the principles of the gospel formed the core of the
Constitution, and indirectly that of the United States.
To understand the interpretations of the Founding Fathers’ views on religious liberty,
one must take into consideration Thomas Paine’s statement; he was of the opinion that after
America gained independence, the British monarchy lost its hold on the American subjects,
who had been suppressed for so long. American liberty was soon followed by freedom of
religion and civil liberty. A religious skeptic, Paine wanted to emphasize more on democratic
principles of rationality and nature. Thomas Jefferson was of the opinion that an individual
should have the liberty to follow whatever religion or faith he pleased, since that was a
personal choice and not something that concerned the general public8.
Evolution of such interpretations and modern day claims
The startling increase in the rate of religious discrimination and violence in the twenty
first century demands a study of how the Founding Fathers’ principles of religious freedom
are viewed today9. Granting the right to practice any religious faith of their choice allowed
numerous religions to flourish and grow in the United States. What made the First
Amendment remarkable was the fact that the Founding Fathers laid down the principles by
8 Ragosta, John. Religious Freedom: Jefferson’s Legacy, America's Creed. University of Virginia Press, 2013.
9 Juergensmeyer, Mark. Terror in the mind of God: The global rise of religious violence. Vol. 13. Univ of
California Press, 2017.

4FOUNDING FATHERS AND THEIR VIEWS ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
taking into account the welfare of their citizens, which was deemed more significant than
establishing the superiority of Christianity. Religious tolerance is encouraged, and
discrimination on grounds of religious faith is strictly prohibited according to the
Constitution. In this aspect, one must remember Thomas Jefferson, who can rightly be called
the father of religious liberty in Virginia, his hometown, and America as a whole.
The Founding Fathers nurtured a deep contempt for any kind of “priestcraft”, and the
portrayal of religious institutions as sole bearers of power. However, there is a new
interpretation of Jefferson and the other Founding Fathers’ views show that while they
challenged the conventional notions of Christianity early on in their career, most of them
continued to enjoy the company of clergymen in their lives as statesmen. They harbored a
benign vision that Christianity could be considered the predominant religion of America, as
long as it did not seek to oppress other forms of religious faith10. Yet, it must be mentioned
that the American Constitution never explicitly states that Christianity should be the law of
the land. Similarly, no citizen of the United States can be compelled or forced to support the
religion. As a matter of fact, America has always been a diverse nation – with different
religions thriving under the same roof.
At the same time, one must also remember the negative consequences of wrongful
interpretations of the First Amendment. Assumptions that the Founding Fathers wanted to
establish America as a Christian republic are one of the root causes of religious intolerance
and hate crimes in the United States. While the Constitution allows freedom of religion,
historic reality shows that this fundamental human right has frequently been violated. In the
modern day, it can be said in conclusion that America is certainly a Christian nation, because
the Bible and its interpretations helped shape the Constitution, and consequently the nation
itself.
10 Beliles, Mark, and Jerry Newcombe. Doubting Thomas: The Religious Life and Legacy of Thomas Jefferson.
Morgan James Publishing, 2014.

5FOUNDING FATHERS AND THEIR VIEWS ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
References:
Barton, David. Original intent: The courts, the constitution, and religion. BookBaby, 2013.
Beliles, Mark, and Jerry Newcombe. Doubting Thomas: The Religious Life and Legacy of
Thomas Jefferson. Morgan James Publishing, 2014.
Fraser, James W. Between church and state: Religion and public education in a multicultural
America. JHU Press, 2016.
Green, Steven K. Inventing a Christian America: The myth of the religious founding. Oxford
University Press, 2015.
Hemeyer, Julia Corbett, Michael Corbett, and J. Matthew Wilson. Politics and religion in the
United States. Routledge, 2014.
Juergensmeyer, Mark. Terror in the mind of God: The global rise of religious violence. Vol.
13. (Univ of California Press, 2017).
Konvitz, Milton. Fundamental liberties of a free people: religion, speech, press, assembly.
Routledge, 2018.
Laycock, Douglas. "Religious liberty and the culture wars." (U. Ill. L. Rev. 2014), 839.
Mack, Burton L. Myth and the Christian nation: A social theory of religion. Routledge, 2014.
Ragosta, John. Religious Freedom: Jefferson’s Legacy, America's Creed. University of
Virginia Press, 2013.