Self-Governing Individuals Are Necessary for a Self-Governing Society | Eastern North Carolina Now

    All societies of men must be governed in some way or other. The less they have of stringent state government, the more they must have of individual self-government. The less they rely on public law or physical force, the more they must rely on private moral restraint.
    Men, in a word, must necessarily be controlled either by a power within them or a power external to them; either by the Word of God or by the strong arm of man; either by the Bible or the bayonet.
    It may do for other countries and other governments to talk about the state supporting religion. Here, under our own free institutions, it is religion which must support the state."

    Daniel Webster (1782-1852), a leading American statesman, was known as being one of our greatest orators. He served as a US congressman and then senator, and even as Secretary of State under three different presidents. In a speech given before the Historical Society of New York on February 23, 1852, he talked about the need of religion for continued happiness and prosperity:

    "If we and our posterity shall be true to the Christian religion, if we and they shall live always in the fear of God and respect His commandments, if we and they shall maintain just moral sentiments and such conscientious convictions of duty as shall control the heart and life, we may have the highest hopes of the future fortunes of our country; and if we maintain those institutions of government and that political union, exceeding all praise as much as it exceeds all former examples of political associations, we may be sure of one thing... that while our country furnishes material for a thousand masters of the historic art, it will afford no topic for a Gibbon. It will have no decline and fall. It will go on prospering and to prosper.

    But if we and our posterity reject religious institutions and authority, violate the rules of eternal justice, trifle with the injunctions of morality, and recklessly destroy the political constitution which holds us together, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us that shall bury all our glory in profound obscurity."

    Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, hit on the same theme in 1917 when he delivered the following address to the nation:

    "The most perfect machinery of government will not keep us as a nation from destruction if there is not within us a soul. No abounding material prosperity shall avail us if our spiritual senses atrophy. The foes of our own household shall surely prevail against us unless there be in our people an inner life which finds its outward expression in a morality not very widely different from that preached by the seers and prophets of Judea when the grandeur that was Greece and the glory that was Rome still lay in the future."

    In his Farewell Address to his countrymen, George Washington said: 'Morality is a necessary spring of popular government.... and let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.'

    His words were given expression when the European movement with which the American people were in most compete sympathy - the French Revolution - had endeavored to destroy the abuses of priestcraft and bigotry by abolishing not only Christianity but religion..... The result was a cynical disregard of morality and a carnival of cruelty and bigotry, committed in the name of reason and liberty, which equaled anything ever done by Tomas Torquemada and the fanatics of the Inquisition in the name of religion and order. Washington wished his fellow countrymen to walk clear of such folly and iniquity. As in all cases where he dealt with continuing causes, his words are as well worth pondering now as when they were written....

    In this actual world, a churchless community, a community where men have abandoned and scoff at or ignore their Christian duties, is a community on the rapid downgrade. It is perfectly true that occasional individuals or families may have nothing to do with church or with religious practices and observances and yet maintain the highest standard of spirituality and of ethical obligation. But this does not affect the case in the world as it now is, any more than that exceptional men and women under exceptional conditions have disregarded the marriage tie without moral harm to themselves interferes with the larger fact that such disregard if at all common means the complete moral disintegration of the body politic."

    As our nation entered the 20th century and assumed its role to protect and enlarge individual liberty around the world, we often wonder how it was that young men could so willingly and selflessly volunteer to fight under the most horrific of circumstances. After World War I, the United States hoped it would never have to see conflict and warfare on that scale again. But on December 7, 1941, with the attack on Pearl Harbor, it was suddenly thrust into a war that was even deadlier, bloodier, and more widespread. 16 million Americans fought in World War II. Over 406,000 died and over 600,000 were injured. What was it that made these men so willing to put their lives on the line for their country?

    The answer can probably be explained, at least in part, by the story of one young marine, Mitchell Paige. Paige was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. In that battle, US Marines took control of the airfield from the Japanese. On October 26, 1942, Paige held his position even after all of the other Marines in his platoon were killed or wounded. He continued to operate four machine guns by himself for hours even after the last fellow Marine fell. He single-handedly stopped an entire Japanese regiment. Had the American position been compromised and the airfield returned to Japanese hands, it is possible that the outcome of the war in the Pacific and even the entire war would have changed.

    In the years following, Paige was repeatedly asked why he was willing to put his life on the line for his country. He repeatedly referred to his "undying love of country." He said that the answers took him back to a Pennsylvania three-room country school where the children were so steeped in the traditions of America that they literally felt themselves a part of a glorious heritage, where the teacher opened the school day with a Bible verse and the Pledge of Allegiance, and where they memorized all the great documents that established the bedrock of America, such as the Gettysburg Address. He believed he was blessed by God by living in the United States.

    General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in the Pacific during WWII, knew that religion was indispensible to the character of America (and to his fighting men) but also could see a progressive decay that was stemming from government. In December 1951, he delivered these words of warning: "In this day of gathering storms, as moral deterioration of political power spreads its growing infection, it is essential that every spiritual force be mobilized to defend and preserve the religious base upon which this nation is founded; for it has been that base which has been the motivating impulse to our moral and national growth. History fails to record a single precedent in which nations subject to moral decay have not passed into political and economic decline. There has been either a spiritual reawakening to overcome the moral lapse or a progressive deterioration leading to ultimate national disaster."

    On Flag Day, June 14, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law Joint Resolution 243 which added the phrase "One Nation Under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance. Commenting on the Resolution, Eisenhower stated: "In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future. In this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most powerful resource in peace and war."

    Although the federal courts were in high gear at this time using the "Wall of Separation" to take the Ten Commandments, prayers, bible lessons, and moments of silence out of the classrooms and to take nativity scenes, crosses, and bible verses off of every public building and out of every public square, our national leaders continued to acknowledge the religious principles that founded our nation and inspired its founding documents. In a speech given in February 1961, President John F. Kennedy spoke about our nation's guiding principle:

    "This country was founded by men and women who were dedicated or came to be dedicated to two propositions: first, a strong religious conviction, and secondly, a recognition that this conviction could flourish only under a system of freedom.
    I think it is appropriate that we pay tribute to this great constitutional principle which is enshrined in the First Amendment: the principle of religious independence, of religious liberty, of religious freedom. But I think it is also important that we pay tribute and acknowledge another great principle - that of religious conviction. Religious freedom has no significance unless it is accompanied by conviction. And therefore the Puritans and Pilgrims of my own section of New England, the Quakers of Pennsylvania, the Catholics of Maryland, the Presbyterians of North Carolina, the Methodists and the Baptists who came later... all shared these two great traditions which, like silver threads, have run through the warp and the woof of American history.
    No man who enters upon the office to which I have succeeded can fail to recognize how very president of the United States has placed special reliance upon his faith in God. Every president has taken comfort and courage when told that the Lord 'will be with thee. He will not fail thee nor forsake thee. Fear not - neither be thou dismayed.' While they came from a wide variety of religious backgrounds and held a wide variety of religious beliefs, each of our presidents in his own way has placed a special trust in God. those who were strongest intellectually were also strongest spiritually.

    Let us go forth to lead this land that we love, joining in the prayer of General George Washington in 1783, 'that God would have you in His holy protection, that He would incline the hearts of the citizens to entertain a brotherly love and affection for one another.... and finally, that He would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to have mercy, and to demean ourselves with the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, without who we can never hope to be a happy nation.'

    The guiding principle and prayer of this nation has been, is now, and shall ever be "In God We Trust."

    In proclaiming the National Day of Prayer, on December 5, 1974, President Gerald Ford quoted President Eisenhower's 1955 message: "Without God there could be no American form of government, nor an American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first - the most basic - expression of Americanism. Thus, the Founding Fathers of America saw it, and thus with God's help, it will continue to be."

    In August 1984, President Ronald Reagan spoke at an ecumenical prayer breakfast in Dallas and talked about the importance of faith to the future and fate of our country:

    "We establish no religion in this country, nor will we ever. We command no worship. We mandate no belief. But we poison our society when we remove its theological underpinnings. We court corruption when we leave it bereft of belief. All are free to believe or not believe; all are free to practice a faith or not. But those who believe must be free to speak of and act on their belief and to apply moral teaching to public questions.

    I submit to you that the tolerant society is open to and encouraging of all religions. And this does not weaken us; it strengthens us....

    Without God, there is no virtue because there is no prompting of the conscience. Without God, we're mired in the material that a flat world tells us only what the senses perceive. Without God, there is a coarsening of society. And without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure. If we ever forget that we're One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under."

    In his Second Inaugural Address, in 1985, President Reagan once again referred to the Divine inspiration that shaped our nation:

    "History is a ribbon, always unfurling.. History is a journey. And as we continue our journey, we think of those who traveled before us. Now we hear again the echoes of our past: a general falls to his knees in the hard snow of Valley Forge; a lonely president paces the darkened halls and ponders his strength to preserve the Union; the men of the Alamo call out encouragement to each other; a settler pushes west and sings a song and the song echoes out forever and fills the unknowing air.

    It is the American sound. It is hopeful, big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent, and fair. That's our heritage; that is our song. We sing it still. For all our problems, our differences, we are together as of old, as we raise our voices to the God who is the Author of this most tender music. And may He continue to hold us close as we fill the world with our sound - sound in unity, affection, and love - one people under God, dedicated to the dream of freedom that He has placed in the human heart, called upon now to pass that dream on to a waiting and hopeful world."

    Our Christian Heritage --

    What exactly do we mean by "Our Christian Heritage"?

    We certainly don't refer to it as a way to suggest that Christianity be the official religion of the United States. We have the First Amendment to protect us from the establishment of any one religion, so that our religious conscience is free from the coercion or criticism of other religions (or non-religion) and no one is forced to support an offensive religion with their tax dollars.

    Our Christian heritage finds its roots in the very foundation of our government. Its principles and values affect many aspects of our lives, none more profoundly than the very form of government that we enjoy and benefit from. The concept of the sovereign person, being "created in God's image," the inherent dignity of every human being, tolerance towards others, charity, service, equality before the law, and personal responsibility all come from the Christian message. Every person, old or young, strong or weak is equal before the Lord.

    Religion plants the seeds of morality and ethics. It promotes strong families, which are the bedrock of a healthy, ordered, productive society. It gives the representative a servant's heart. It sets guidelines for conduct that benefit society as a whole. It structures government that is closest to the individual, where it can be most responsive. It establishes notions of fairness and equity. It establishes proper priorities for a strong community. When we speak today of the Christian heritage, we speak of institutions (mostly government) that come from the Hebrews and values that we owe to the Judeo-Christian culture. The basis of our law comes from Natural Law and from God's Law.

    In other words, religion provides the foundation of good (personal) self-government so that our governments, federal and state, can effectively resign themselves to their essential tasks and stay out of the lives of its citizens as much as possible.

    There is no clearer expression of our Christian roots than in our very Declaration of Independence. The Declaration, adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, declared that the 13 American colonies were "free and independent States" and that "all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is and ought to be totally dissolved" (ie, secession). But for us, as citizens, it is an enduring proclamation of our rights and our superior status with respect to government. In it, our Founding Fathers were quick to protect our fundamental rights - the Rights to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness - in the most secure manner they knew - by explaining that God, as the Creator of the Universe and Man, is the source of those rights. Because individual rights derive from man's relationship with his Creator and not from any government, government has no right to take them away. In fact, as the Declaration states in the second paragraph, the primary purpose of government is to protect and secure man's inalienable rights in an organized society. The placement of Judeo-Christian values and biblical morality into our founding documents and laws was clearly intentional. As Benjamin Rush, a delegate from Pennsylvania and one of the signers of the Declaration, said: "Without religion there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments."

    While most people are quick to note the religious roots in the second paragraph of the Declaration, it is the first paragraph which immediately justifies the independence of the American people on the laws of God. The first paragraph reads:

    "When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with one another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitles them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

    The Declaration proclaimed "to a candid world" that in the United States of America, the power over natural rights vests in the Individual and not in any government. The decisions regarding the exercise of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, as well as the right to protect and defend them, belong to the People. These individual rights are so important, according to our nation's Founders, that government's primary function must be to protect them. Furthermore, in order that government can never assume any power that the People don't want it to have, the Declaration states that governments are to instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. This is our doctrine of Individual Sovereignty. Never before had any country adopt such a progressive idea! Rights had always been enjoyed at the mercy of a King (such as the Magna Carta) or granted as seen fit by governments. In the US, power vests originally and inalienably in the People and as such, the People can reclaim it. This doctrine was offered as justification for the American Revolution and provided the basis for our grand American experiment. The message in the Declaration is clear - the responsibility over government is given to the People and with them alone rests the security of their freedom.

    Just so the people would fully understand, and maybe more importantly that lawyers would never be confused, the term "Laws of Nature and of Nature's God" was defined by renown jurist and legal writer Sir William Blackstone, as well as other legal scholars, as the laws that God, as Creator of the universe, had established for the governance of people, nations, and nature. Blackstone's Commentaries on the Law, which was the primary legal treatise of the time and the one on which the Founders relied, explained "the laws of nature" as the will of God for man, which can be ascertained by people through an examination and understanding of God's creation, the text of the Bible, and to a certain degree, instinct or reason (reason being the one gift given to man when he was "created in His image" to separate him from the beasts and other creatures). Blackstone wrote:

    "Man, considered as a creature, must necessarily be subject to the laws of his Creator, for he is entirely a dependent being... And consequently, as man depends absolutely upon his Maker for everything, it is necessary that he should in all points conform to his Maker's will. This will of his Maker is called the Law of Nature. This Law of Nature, being coeval (co-existent) with mankind and dictated by God Himself, is of course superior in obligation to any other. It is binding over all the globe, in all countries, and at all times; no human laws are of any validity, if contrary to this.....

    And if our reason were always clear and perfect, the task would be pleasant and easy. We should need no other guide but his (the Law of Nature). But every man now finds the contrary in his own experience; that his reason is corrupt, and his understand full of ignorance and error. This has given manifold occasion for the benign interposition of Divine Providence, which hath been pleased, at sundry times and in diverse manners, to discover and enforce its laws by an immediate and direct revelation. The doctrines thus delivered are what we call the Revealed or Divine Law, and they are to be found only in the Holy Scriptures....
    Upon these two foundations, the Law of Nature and the Law of Revelation, depend all human laws; that is to say, no human laws should contradict these."

    Frederick Douglass (1818-1895), a leading abolitionist and perhaps the most prominent African-American in pre-Civil War history, stated: "The Declaration of Independence is the ring-bolt to the chain of your nation's destiny; so, indeed, I regard it. The principles contained in that instrument are saving principles. Stand by those principles. Be true to them on all occasions, in all places, against all foes, and whatever cost."

    The Framers of the US Constitution did not establish the federal government to "do good." Rather, the government was to perform certain functions that would benefit all the states equally so that they could act like they were part of a Union rather than a group of independent States, each duplicating certain key functions. In fact, as a first principle, our Founders took great pain to make sure that government would "do no harm" - to either the States or to the Individual. In his first inaugural address, in 1801, Thomas Jefferson defined "the sum of good government" as "a wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned."

    Government's primary responsibility, as outlined in Article I, Section 8 is to defend the nation from attack, to maintain an Army and Navy, to declare war, to establish a uniform policy on immigration, to coin money, to promote intellectual property (useful arts), to regulate commerce, to establish a post office, and the like. In other ways, thanks to the Bill of Rights and the symbiosis with the Declaration of Independence, government has a pronounced subsidiary role: to help promote Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, to support the work of the families, religious communities, and other institutions of civil society that shoulder the primary burden of forming upright and decent citizens, caring for those in need, encouraging people to meet their responsibilities to one another while also discouraging them from harming themselves or others or misappropriating the property of others.

    Governmental respect for individual freedom and the autonomy of non-governmental spheres of authority is, then, a requirement of political morality. Government must not try to run people's lives or usurp the roles and responsibilities of families, religious bodies, and other character- and culture-forming authoritative communities. The usurpation of the just authority of families, religious communities, and other institutions is unjust in principle... often seriously so. And that's why the record of big government in the twentieth century is not a successful one. It has done very little good in the long run (other than protecting people from exploitation in labor and regulating for the health and safety in food/drugs) and in fact, has caused more harm to society than good. Never before has there been such a deficit of character and morality.

    Our Founding Fathers knew that if God should ever be taken out of the nation's value system, our rights as citizens would no longer be absolute and they would instead become subject to the relative values of those who are in a position to make or change the laws... such as Congress, a scheming president, or activist judges. Universal moral laws that promote the good of all people, as individuals (not as a collective), and that protect the innocent and vulnerable are slowly and steadily eroded when government declares that it is not supposed to legislate morality. When that happens, there is necessarily a paradigm shift. There is such a shift because the opposite of morality is immorality. If government doesn't legislate to serve moral ends, then it legislates for immoral ones. Soon, the government assumes the moral (or immoral) license to do what it thinks best.