Opinion
By Judge John Marshall Meisburg, Jr.
12-13-23
A major part of the Christian heritage of America is the faith of our Founding Fathers. Some 95% of the Founding Fathers were evangelical Christians. Out of the 250 Founding Fathers, 238 were religious men. Many of them were Christian ministers. The Continental Congress began each session with prayer and Bible study. At a critical moment for the Congress, the Lord gave them Psalm 35 to read, and it all went well. Some 24 Founders had seminary degrees. On June 28, 1776, Benjamin Franklin urged the Congress to pray and to break a deadlock. And 6 days later, on July 4, 1776, the new nation was born.
George Washington, the Father of our country, was not a “deist” as some have claimed. He was a member of the Anglican/Episcopal faith that used the Apostles Creed, the Lord’s Prayer and the Ten Commandments. He attended church regularly and was a vestryman in Pohick church in Lorton, Virginia. He also attended church in Alexandria, Virginia where he owned a box of seats in the Episcopal church for his family which is still intact. He believed strongly that God took an active role in the founding of America and took a personal interest in every person. He kept a prayer journal almost daily. His prayer at Valley Forge is given credit for the turning of the tide in the revolutionary war. He told the Indians/Native Americans that they should learn the Christian religion, and that the Congress would purchase Bibles for them. He used “Providence” many times in his letters, which means God. Washington was the Commander of the Colonial army and was our first President. In 1781, after serving two terms as President, urged all Americans to “do justice and love mercy” and “follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ so we will have a happy nation.” Washington was our greatest Christian statesman and Founding Father.
Dr. Benjamin Rush was a leading educator and the father of American medicine. He started Sunday School programs in churches and helped to lead the anti-slavery Abolition movement. He started the first Bible Society and said that Bible study would diminish all social ills. John Witherspoon was an ordained minister. He published the first American Bible in 1791.
Thomas McKeen was a judge who told condemned criminals to repent of their sins and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ so they could be saved and enter Heaven. He actually had altar calls in his courtroom!
John Hancock, who signed the Declaration of Independence in large letters so the King could read it, wrote a Proclamation that honored “The Lord Jesus Christ.”
Sam Adams, the father of the American revolution, issued a Proclamation in 1795 calling on the nation to fast and pray.
Patrick Henry was a Christian minister. He ended one sermon by proclaiming “I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” That was a battle cry of the revolutionary war.
Alexander Hamilton was a devout Christian who was killed in a duel by Aaron Burr because Hamilton refused to shoot his gun. He relied on the mercy of God. He founded the Christian Constitutional Society, and co-authored the Federalist Papers that set forth the basis for out Constitution and government.
John Marshall was a Christian and was the second and most famous Supreme Court Justice. He authored the landmark decision of Marbury v. Madison which held that the Supreme Court had the power to declare a law passed by Congress to be unconstitutional. He was Vice-President of the American Bible Society.
John Adams, our Second President was a Christian who prayed during the first speech given in the Capitol.
John Jay, our first Supreme Court Chief Justice, was a Christian, Many times he referred to “Our redeemer Christ.”
Oliver Ellsworth was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and said in 1802 that “government should aid and encourage religion and religious institutions.
Joseph Story was a Christian and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He founded Harvard Law School with a Christian charter. He said the First Amendment was not intended to separate Christianity from government and that Christianity should be encouraged by the state as the “source of happiness.” Story was the father of American jurisprudence.
Robert Winthrop was a strong Christian and Speaker of the House of Representatives. He once said: “Man will be restrained by the Bible or the bayonet.”
Charles Pickney was a Christian who founded the American Bible Society.
James McHenry was a Christian who said that “the Bible is the best prevention for crime.”
Rev. John Muhlenberg was the pastor of two churches. In his farewell sermon he removed his clerical robe revealing his military uniform, and fought in the revolutionary war at Yorktown.
America was very blessed to have such great Christian statesmen at our founding. It is clear from their words that faith in God and Jesus Christ was a founding principle of our country, without which we will not survive!
Dr. Benjamin Rush John Marshall
John Hancock
Patrick Henry
Joseph Story
Rev. John Muhlenberg
Alexander Hamilton
ABOUT THE AUTHOR- JUDGE JOHN MARSHALL MEISBURG JR.
Judge John Marshall Meisburg, Jr., was a U.S. Administrative Law Judge with the Social Security Administration for 26 years in Jacksonville, Florida. He retired as a judge in 2021 and is now living in Fernandina Beach, Florida with his wife of 43 years, Dr. Denise Meisburg. They have six children and 11 grandchildren. Prior to being a judge, he was a lawyer with the Federal government for 23 years, serving in all three branches of the government, with the U.S. District Court, EEOC, Justice Department, Congress, FDIC and Office of Special Counsel (MSPB). He was in private law practice one year in Washington, D.C. and filed the lawsuit that became the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case on sexual harassment. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Kentucky, and a Juris Doctor law degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law. He is a lifelong Christian, being raised in the Baptist faith in Louisville, Kentucky. He was an Elder at New Life Christian Fellowship in Jacksonville where he taught Sunday School, the Jewish Roots of the Faith and the Christian Heritage of America. He was a leader of both the National Day of Prayer and the House of Prayer in Jacksonville for over ten years. He has published ten books relating to Christian and legal ssues. He is now a member of Living Waters World Outreach Center in Fernandina Beach, where he serves in the prayer and home group ministry, and is a member of the Board of Directors for Faith Christian Academy.
Christian Heritage Articles:
“Christopher Columbus – Man of Great Faith and Courage” – Citizens Journal Florida
The Christian Heritage of America (Installment 2) – Citizens Journal Florida
The Christian Heritage of America Installment 3 – The French Huguenots! – Citizens Journal Florida
The Christian Heritage of America Installment 5 -The Great Awakening – Citizens Journal Florida
The views expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Citizens Journal Florida.
