Sacred Liberty: How the Founder's Faith Forged American Freedom

I enlisted in the United States Air Force in the summer of 1966. Vietnam was really starting to heat up, and college students across the country felt a sudden urge to explore a Canadian lifestyle. The nation was in turmoil, and JFK’s memory was still painfully fresh. Was I doing my patriotic duty by joining up? Was I serving my country to stem the Asian horde? Or was I volunteering before I received an invitation from my Uncle and was “volun-told?” I knew I had a freedom of choice, but where did it come from? How do I pick the right one? And, what’s going to happen after I choose it?

During my six years of service, the answers to my questions became clearer with each unique experience. My mental borders were being stretched as the complexities of the world began to emerge. I discovered that the United States had a unique kind of freedom, not born from philosophy alone, but rooted in a sacred text.

American liberty, as envisioned by our founding fathers, was not a secular invention but a direct inheritance from a Judeo-Christian worldview. Their understanding of scripture fundamentally shaped the nation's concept of rights, governance, and civic duty, creating a cultural and societal framework whose effects are still felt and unfortunately contested today. Nevertheless, this is how the Founder's faith forged American freedom.

The Divine Source of Liberty: "Endowed by their Creator"

The fundamental idea of true freedom was that our founders believed that true rights were not granted by kings or governments, but by God himself. This was a revolutionary concept that broke from the “divine right of kings” model.

Let's consider Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence. He was a man of many layers, yet the document he gave us has an unmistakably spiritual heart. The core idea is right there in the phrase "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights." That single thought is the foundation on which it's all built.

John Adams wrote, “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” This demonstrates the belief that the country itself depended on citizens guided by God-given principles. They built their case on the following scriptures, which illustrate the timeless principle of sowing and reaping, cause and effect.

Genesis 1:27: “So God created man in his own image...” This is how we know our worth comes directly from our Creator, not assigned by a majority based on sex, race, color, or creed. Because humans are made in God's image, they possess rights that no human authority can legitimately take away.

Galatians 5:1: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” This New Testament concept of spiritual liberty was often paralleled with the desire for political liberty.

This is what they predicted would happen to society as a result. This principle created a culture where the individual was elevated. The government existed to secure pre-existing rights, not to grant them. This is the fundamental difference between the American experiment and many other forms of government. It places a limit on the power of the state.

A Republic Built on Moral Virtue

The founders understood that liberty wasn't licensed. For a Republic to survive, the people had to be self-governing, not just politically, but morally as well. Freedom without virtue would inevitably lead to chaos and tyranny.

At the end of the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin famously said, “A Republic, if you can keep it.” This implied that keeping it required something from the people. He also stressed the importance of virtue for the republic's survival.

Again, they used the following Bible verses to support their argument, which served as the basis for their cause-and-effect analysis.

Proverbs 14:34: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” This was a commonly understood principle that the health of the nation was seen as directly tied to its moral and spiritual character.

Jeremiah 17:9: "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked..." The Founders had a realistic, biblically informed view of human nature. They knew people were not inherently perfect. Therefore, they designed a system of checks and balances, but also knew that internal checks (moral virtue) were just as crucial.

They also predicted how this would ripple out and change the nation. This fostered a culture that valued personal responsibilities, integrity, and community. Institutions like churches, families, and local associations were seen as vital for teaching the virtues necessary to “keep the Republic.” It created a society where laws were ideally a reflection of a shared moral consensus.

Echoes in the Present – Legacy and Challenge 

The Christian framework of the founding of our country is not just a historical footnote; it has had enduring effects on American culture and faces modern challenges as its influence wanes.

Cause and effect into the present:

• Cause: A belief in the scripture: “So God created man in his own image...”

• Effect: a legacy of striving for civil rights. While tragically imperfect in its application, the moral logic of the declaration (“all men are created equal”) became the engine for the abolitionist movement and the civil rights movement, both of which were led by clergy and fueled by biblical arguments.

• Cause: A belief in virtue and self-governance.

• Effect: A tradition of American volunteerism, philanthropy, and civic engagement. The idea of contributing to the common good is a direct descendant of the call to be a virtuous citizenry.

Modern Challenges & The Consequences of Forgetting:

Sadly, there has been a shift away from these foundational beliefs. What happens when rights are no longer seen as endowed by the Creator but are defined solely by the state or individual whim, rights become relative and can be taken away as easily as they are given.

What happens when “freedom” is divorced from “virtue”? The societal fabric weakens, and the focus shifts from responsibility to entitlement. George Washington's warning becomes prophetic: Can national morality prevail without the religious principle that birthed it?

Conclusion: Keeping the Republic 

American freedom is a three-legged stool: God-given rights, the necessity of moral virtue, and the personal responsibility of every citizen. These were not secular ideas dressed in religious language; they were theological convictions that created a political reality.

Final Reflection: 

I’m so glad I served my country. It was a liberating and enriching experience that I feel would benefit many young men and women today. To the youth of our country, I say: turn off the negative rhetoric spewing out of the “talking heads.” As my generation used to say: “Don’t drink the Kool-Aid!” You have a priceless freedom of choice. Millions gave their lives to pay for it.

For guidance, trust your inner compass, not the crowd-sourced GPS of social media. Your compass has your true north; social media has its own agenda. As a Christian author, I feel it’s my obligation… no, strike that… privilege to remind people of the story behind that freedom – a story that dared to believe it was “one Nation under God.”

The freedom I defended has a sacred character. The future of American liberty may depend less on politicians and more on the people's ability to remember. Perhaps it's time to reclaim the faith of our ancestors. They believed in a profound truth: that genuine freedom is found not in serving oneself, but in serving God and others. And to my brothers and sisters-at-arms, thank you for your service on Independence Day and every other day. And may our precious freedom forever reign. God bless these United States.