In a powerful and timely July 4th message, Pastor Dave Bowen with Hope for Our Times tackled the claim that the United States was never a Christian nation, an idea pushed by many in today’s secular media. With passion and historical clarity, Bowen set the record straight using documented evidence rather than opinion.
“Do we have a godless constitution?” Bowen asked at the outset. “Is America a Christian nation? Was it ever a Christian nation?”
While many secular outlets, such as the Associated Press, argue that the Constitution does not establish Christianity as the nation’s foundation, Bowen points to both federal and state documents that reveal a different story.
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“I just want to look at the documents,” Bowen said. “I’m not going to use quotes from the founding fathers that can be debated. I want to stay with records, not opinion.”
Early State Constitutions Reflect Christian Foundations
Bowen shared multiple examples of early American state constitutions that explicitly required belief in Christianity and adherence to biblical principles.
“Massachusetts in 1780 required officials to declare belief in the Christian religion,” he said. “New Hampshire’s 1784 constitution said no person shall be elected who is not of the Christian religion. Connecticut referred to the Holy Bible as a legal authority. Delaware in 1776 required public officials to profess faith in God the Father, Jesus Christ His only Son and the Holy Ghost.”
Even South Carolina’s constitution in 1778 stated, “The Christian Protestant religion shall be deemed the established religion of the state.”
9 Biblical Influences on the U.S. Constitution
Bowen emphasized that biblical values were not just present in state constitutions—they are woven into the fabric of the U.S. Constitution itself. He listed specific scriptural references that align with constitutional principles:
- Isaiah 33:22 – “For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king.” Bowen said, “That’s where our three branches of government come from.”
- Jeremiah 17:9 – The heart is deceitful, justifying the need for separation of powers.
- Leviticus 19:34 – Welcoming immigrants, mirrored in Article I, Section 8.
- Deuteronomy 17:15 – The president must be a natural-born citizen (Article II, Section 1).
- Deuteronomy 17:6 – No one may be executed by the testimony of one witness (Article III, Section 3).
- Ezekiel 18:20 – Guilt is not transferable to family members, related to treason clauses in Article I.
- Ezra 7:24 – Tax exemption for churches and religious institutions.
- Exodus 18:21 – The structure of representative government (Article IV, Section 4).
- Exodus 20 (The Ten Commandments) – Foundational moral laws behind U.S. criminal statutes.
“Our Constitution is based on the Bible,” Bowen said. “But that’s not what we’re going to be told.”
A Turning Point in 1961
Bowen highlighted the 1961 Supreme Court case Torcaso v. Watkins, which struck down religious requirements for holding public office. The Court ruled that such tests were unconstitutional, citing concerns over different versions of the Ten Commandments: Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and Lutheran.
“They didn’t change any of the Ten Commandments,” Bowen explained. “They just rearranged the order based on emphasis. And the Supreme Court said because we can’t pick one version over another, we won’t favor any.”
This decision rendered all Christian religious tests in state constitutions unenforceable.
Consequences of Removing God
Bowen drew a stark contrast between America before and after 1961.
“From 1961 to 1991, violent crime more than quadrupled,” he said. “Hard drug use among 12th graders rose from 0 to 62% by 2023. We took God out of the classroom and replaced biblical discipline with metal detectors.”
He added: “Let’s take God out and see how that works out. The numbers don’t lie.”
A Call to Remember
As the nation celebrated its 249th birthday, Bowen urged believers to remember the truth of America’s Christian heritage.
“We do have a godless constitution—now,” he said. “But that’s not the way it was originally designed.”
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In a final word of encouragement, he quoted President Dwight D. Eisenhower:
“Faith was the single most important distinction between freedom and communism.”
And as Pastor Dave reminded his audience: “Our founding fathers overwhelmingly quoted the Bible more than any other source—34% of their writings. The next highest was only 8%. The evidence is there. We just need to look at it.”
James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
