Meet some Founding Fathers
History:
-Ben Franklin was the least religious founding father, but he used 11 Bible verses
-At the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence he stated “ We must hang
together, or, most assuredly we will hang separately.”
-meaning that failure to stay united and succeed would lead to being tried and executed
-In 1774, Ben Franklin was accused of treason against the Crown
-Franklin realized that compromise would not end the dispute between the colonies and
the Crown
“I have lived a long time, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live the more convincing proofs
I see of this truth–that God governs the affairs of men. And if the sparrow cannot fall to the
ground without his notice,
it is probable that an empire can rise without his aid?” (Benjamin Franklin)
“Remember your history, your long and rich history” (Isaiah 46:9)
History:
-247 founding fathers and only 10 were not Christians
-God was in the equation as 34% of the Bible was used to create our nation
-teaching the Bible was the culture
Georg Washington
-In 1776, Washington published his farewell address intended to serve as a guide to
future statecraft for the American public and his successors in office
-Washington warned that the forces of geographical sectionalism, political factionalism,
and interference by foreign powers in the nation’s domestic affairs threatened the
stability of the republic
-Washington’s main point was that religion + morality = political system
James McHenry
-appointed Secretary of War by President George Washington
-key role in maintaining the nation’s defense and security during a critical period in history
-proposed the idea of having a “War department” as the official name for the military
branch responsible for national defense (established Military Academy at West Point)
“Without justice, there is no liberty; without liberty, there is no justice”
“The preservation of liberty depends on the intellectual and moral character of the people”
“Government is no reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and
a fearful master”
“Freedom is the most valuable possession of man, and if jeopardized, no other advantage can
compensate for its loss”
“Power and authority should always be exercised with humility and respect for the individual
rights of the people”
“A nation cannot thrive when its leaders are corrupt and its citizens are apathetic”
“The greatest threat to liberty is complacency”
John Hancock
-was one of the founding fathers who played a pivotal role in the founding of this
nation in 1776
“Continue steadfast and, with a proper sense of your dependence on God, nobly defend
those rights which heaven gave, and no man ought to take from us.”
“Manners, by which not only the freedom, but the very existence of the republics, are
greatly affected, depend much upon the public institutions of religion and the good
education of youth”
“May the Supreme ruler of the world be pleased to establish and perpetuate these new
foundations of liberty and glory”
“Resistance to tyranny becomes the Christian and social duty of each individual”
Benjamin Rush
- was a signer of the Declaration of Independence
-In 1787, Rush proposed a national system of public education with a federal university to train public
servants and favored the education of women
-Rush was one of the first Founders to call for free, national, public schools
-Rush was a distinguished physician and scientist
-Rush understood the role of an educated citizenry as regards the stability of a republic
“I believe no man was ever early instructed in the truths of the Bible without having been made wiser or better
by the early operation of these impressions upon his mind.”
“If moral precepts alone could have reformed mankind, the mission of the Son of God into our world would
have been unnecessary”
In the winter of 1777,
“I sat next to John Adams in Congress, and upon my whispering to him and asking him if he thought we
should succeed in our struggle with Great Britain, he answered me, ‘Yes-if we fear God and repent of our sins.”
VS.
Slippery Slope to current school system:
-Horace Mann served in the U.S. of Representatives from 1848-1853
-Mann wanted to diminish the role of religion in the classroom
-Horace Mann if called the “Father of Public Education” because he was an American educational reformer,
slavery abolitionist, and Whig politician known for his commitment to promoting public education
-4 principles of education:
1-citizens cannot maintain both ignorance and freedom
2-this education should be paid for, controlled, and maintained by the public
3-this education should be provided in school that embrace children from varying backgrounds
4-this education must be nonsectarian
5-this education must be taught using the tenets of a free society
6-this education must be provided by well-trained professional teachers
John Quincy Adams
-mentored Abraham Lincoln
John Quincy Adams spoke against slavery so much he was placed under a gag order
William Lloyd Garrison
- inspired Fredrick Douglas
-untiring reformer who worked for women’s right to vote, civil rights, and prohibition
-he led the moral crusade for abolition of slavery in the United States
-Garrison believed that if slavery, indeed, were sinful, it needed to be expunged instantly from the United States
***We need weapons for spiritual war in a post-truth world
"Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict fullof suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side
by side with those who were so treated. You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the
confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions"
(Hebrews 10:32-34).