Christianity and the United States Constitution

Christianity and the U.S. Constitution

The United States Constitution is one of the most important founding documents of the nation. It was drafted based on a clear set of principles that have continued to guide its use in the American system of governance. While the framers of the U.S. Constitution followed a clear set of principles, there have been debates on the extent to which their efforts and ideas were influenced by Christianity. Formisano & Pickering (2009) contend that recent history has witnessed growing debates on whether the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation. These debates have contributed to numerous questions on whether the Constitution was influenced by tenets of the Christian faith. These concerns are fueled by the fact that many founding fathers were of the Christian faith. This paper examines the link between Christianity and the U.S. Constitution in terms of how this religion may have influenced the constitution-making process in the country.

Christianity and the Constitution

The line between the government/state and religion has attracted numerous debates and concerns in recent years. While one of the principles of the U.S. Constitution is the separation of the state and religion, the extent to which religion influenced constitution-making remains debatable. As noted by Formisano & Pickering (2009), historians have robustly argued on whether America was established as a Christian nation. Moreover, historians have debated the role religion played in the public sphere in the initial years of the American republic. According to Eisgruber (2006), America remains vigorously religious despite becoming more secular in recent years. America is viewed as vigorously religious because of the perceived influence of Christianity in the constitution-making process.

Many of the founding fathers of the United States were of the Christian faith. Their faith could have influenced the Constitution and resulted in the emergence of America as a Christian nation, particularly in the early years of the republic. Even though the founding fathers did not intend to create a Christian nation, their faith could have influenced the Constitution. The founding fathers could have looked to the Bible for insights and answers to questions relating to the creation of a nation or political society. For some of the founding fathers, Biblical interpretation and application was the basis for addressing important topics relating to nation-building. For instance, the principle of separation of powers in the U.S. Constitution could have been influenced by the understanding that man is a fallen creature as shown in Genesis. Therefore, the founding fathers could have used this understanding to shape the principle of separation of power in the Constitution. Since man is a fallen creature, there was a need to grant others the authority to check the power given to others. Hatfield (1968) notes that the founding fathers’ basic assumption was that a free democratic nation would require man’s best spirit. As a result, they seemingly relied on biblical principles to determine what makes a man good and the common good of the society.

Christian Ethos and the Bill of Rights

Protection of individual freedoms or liberties is one of the sets of principles that shaped constitution-making. For example, the First Amendment prevents the federal government from interfering with individual freedom of religious belief of worship (Formisano & Pickering, 2009). The Bill of Rights essentially safeguards the individual rights and liberties of U.S. citizens. While the United States was not created as a Christian nation, the Bill of Rights was seemingly influenced by a Christian ethos. Christian ethos primarily reflects the ideals of humanity and the highest values. As a result, they promote inclusivity and the idea of accepting others regardless of individual differences. Therefore, the basic idea underlying Christian ethos is treating each other with respect, tolerance, understanding, and forgiveness.

Christian ethos may have influenced the criminal law provisions of the Bill of Rights by promoting human dignity and liberty. In this regard, the criminal law provisions of the Bill of Rights were established to safeguard human dignity and liberty, which are the core principles underlying Christian ethos. Therefore, these provisions essentially safeguard the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. The rights and responsibilities of citizenship are based on the common standards of right and wrong, which are seemingly defined based on biblical principles and Christian ethos. This implies that the Bill of Rights in America’s system of governance reflects the nation’s Christian heritage and ethos. Consequently, the criminal provisions of the Bill of Rights seek to promote and safeguard human dignity based on common standards of acceptable behavior in both private and public life.

Christianity and the Modern American Criminal Justice System

Petty (2016) contends that religious clauses are part of the U.S. jurisprudential legacy for better or worse. This implies that the American criminal justice system comprises some religious clauses that define some provisions. The view that religious clauses are part of the nation’s jurisprudential legacy implies that religion has played a critical role in shaping the American criminal justice system. The American criminal justice system has historically been shaped by Christian beliefs and views. For example, the abolishment of the death penalty in favor of alternative measures was influenced by Christian beliefs and values. The abolishment came following calls by churches and pro-life groups for less severe and humane alternative measures. This implies that the Christian faith has had a relatively active role in the American criminal justice system in relation to some provisions of the law and their application.

As American society continues to evolve, the Christian faith has a place in the modern American criminal justice system. Christian beliefs, values, and attitudes will continue to shape provisions of criminal law, their interpretation, and application in the criminal justice system. While the American criminal justice system is not explicitly based on Christianity, Christian beliefs and values continue to shape the application of criminal law. The Christian faith will continue to influence the criminal justice system in America despite the fact that the U.S. has become more secular (Eisgruber, 2006).