Finding God in Government

This month, we celebrated our country's independence. There were barbeques and fireworks displays. And we sang songs about this land where our fathers died, hopefully reminding us of their commitment to their faith and how it has impacted our nation. Their faith not only shaped a people, but also the government that leads them.

Though religious leaders and political officials alike often talk about the separation of religion and politics, the fact is that the two have been inseparably wed since the beginning of our nation. From our founding fathers to the coins you use in soda machines, you see the mark of faith woven into our everyday life. Let's take a brief look at some of the ways God got into government. They may surprise you.

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Money Talks

You may never think much about the money in your pocket except how to spend it, but much of our currency has a message. Open your billfold and take a closer look to see what it has to say.

"In God We Trust" is a religious claim that our nation puts on its currency. The phrase was coined (pardon the pun) for the first time in 1864 on the 2-cent coin. The Civil War had ignited much religious sentiment, spurring many of the nation's faithful to write Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase to "recognize the Deity on United States coins."

But we don?t restrict our recognition of God to English; it's also there in Latin. On the back of a $1 bill you will find "Annuit Coeptis" written above the eye of the pyramid. The phrase means "God has favored our undertakings." The State Department says that the unfinished pyramid on the $1 bill symbolizes that the United States will always grow, improve, and build, while the all-seeing eye suggests how essential divine guidance is for America.

Words to Live By

Just as the federal government has its mottoes, so do the states. Each state has an official motto, some even showing godly reflection. Those states with God in their motto include Arizona, whose motto is the Latin phrase "Ditat Deus," which means "God enriches." Colorado also uses a Latin phrase – "Nil Sine Numine" – which means "Nothing without the deity." Florida claims, "In God We Trust." Ohio's motto quotes Luke 2, saying, "With God, All Things Are Possible." South Dakota claims that "Under God the People Rule."

The Fathers Know Best

It may be of interest to know that though many of our founding fathers based their lives and our government on biblical principles, many of them were not what we would consider orthodox Christians. They admired Jesus and His teachings, but did not want to accept Him as the Son of God. For example, James Madison became Unitarian, while Thomas Jefferson was a deist. However, most founding fathers stressed the necessity of religion and its precepts for the success of the republic.

The first two presidents, George Washington and John Adams, were both considered strong supporters of religion. Washington, an Episcopal vestryman, said, "Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged. The time has come to turn to God and reassert our trust in Him for the healing of America. Our country is in need of and ready for a spiritual renewal."

John Adams was quoted as thinking of himself as "a church-going animal." He said, "The moral principles and precepts contained in the Scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws."

Benjamin Franklin said of America's beginnings, "Our founding fathers believed devoutly that there was a God and that the inalienable rights of man were rooted not in the state, nor legislature, nor in any other human power, but in God alone."

Civil War general and U.S president Ulysses S. Grant said, "The book (the Bible), Sir, is the rock on which our republic rests."

Though the federal government never endorsed a national religion, for almost 100 years after the Civil War, church services were held in the House, the executive branch buildings, and the Supreme Court chambers. Jefferson and Madison both attended these services where Protestant preachers and Catholic priests alike officiated. 

This article courtesy of Christian Single magazine.