Quote:
Originally Posted by The Barbarian
"Fact is, the Founders were divided on the nature of God, and their solution was to build a nation that did not endorse any God whatever, while remaining friendly to the idea of religion as a private matter between those so inclined.
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The Constitution of South Carolina
Adopted in 1778, declares Christianity to be the fundamental law of
the State, in the following language—
That all persons and religious societies who acknowledge that
there is one God, and a future state of rewards and punishments,
and that God is to be publicly worshipped, shall be
tolerated. The Christian Protestant religion shall be deemed,
and is hereby constituted and declared to be, the established
religion of the State…
The Constitution of North Carolina
Bearing date 1776, declares—
That no person who should deny the being of a God, or the
truth of the Protestant religion, or the divine authority of either
the Old or New Testaments, or who should hold religious
principles incompatible with the freedom and safety of
the State, should be capable of holding any office or place of
trust in the civil government of this State.
Constitution of Pennsylvania
Adopted in 1776, declares that the legislator shall consist of “persons most noted for wisdom and virtue”, and that every member should subscribe the following declaration-
I do believe in one God, the Creator and Governor of the universe, the Rewarder of the good, and the Punisher of the wicked, and I acknowledge the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be given by inspiration.
Delaware
In her first Constitution, formed during the Revolution, made the following declaration-
That every citizen who should be chosen a member of either
house of the Legislature, or appointed to any other office,
should be required to subscribe to the following declaration—“
I do profess faith in God the Father, and in the Lord
Jesus Christ his only Son, and in the Holy Ghost, one God
and blessed for evermore; and I do acknowledge the Holy
Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be given by divine
inspiration.”
Benjamin F. Morris: The Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States; in the year of our Lord Christ, 1864.
Etc etc. etc.
Barbarian gulps.