The Personal Website of Mark W. Dawson

Religion, Morality, Character, and Virtue
Within Government and Society

“I have lived, sir, a long time; and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this Truth, that God governs in the Affairs of Men!”
 - Benjamin Franklin

Today Benjamin Franklin is primarily thought of as Deist, and there is no doubt about his belief in Deism as he stated this in his autobiography. However, his Deism beliefs changed as a result of his involvement in the American Revolution and our founding, as reflected in the above quote. Franklin adhered to a religion that might be called doctrineless, moralized Christianity, as exemplified in the following quote:

“Here is my Creed. I believe in one God, creator of the Universe. That he governs it by his Providence. That he ought to be worshiped. That the most acceptable service we render him is doing good to his other children. That the soul of Man is immortal, and will be treated with justice in another life respecting its conduct in this.”
 - Benjamin Franklin

Many of our Founding Fathers were religious, and of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, nearly half (24) held seminary or Bible school degrees. Yet, they all understood that one’s religious beliefs were personal and not to be dictated by anyone nor any government. This is why the Freedom of Religion was integral to the First Amendment to the Constitution.

The Founding Fathers also believed that religious belief was essential to good governance, as exemplified by the following quotes by the first three Presidents of the United States:

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim tribute to patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness - these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. . . . reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principles.”
 - George Washington

“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution is designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any other.”
 - John Adams

“God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever... ”
 - Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson also believed in the 'wall of separation between church and state', but if you read the full letter which stated this, it has a different meaning than what is believed today:

“Religious institutions that use government power in support of themselves and force their views on persons of other faiths, or of no faith, undermine all our civil rights. Moreover, state support of an established religion tends to make the clergy unresponsive to their own people, and leads to corruption within religion itself. Erecting the 'wall of separation between church and state,' therefore, is absolutely essential in a free society.”
 - Thomas Jefferson

In this context, it is apparent he meant that the State should not become involved in religion, but religion and religious people could be involved in the affairs of the State. Indeed, many of the Founding Fathers and their contemporaries believed it essential for religion and religious leaders, and religious people to bring their religious beliefs, morality, character, and virtue into governance, but not impose their religious beliefs on others as expressed by Thomas Jefferson:

“No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever.”
 - Thomas Jefferson

Indeed, many religious leaders voiced support for the American Revolution, and some even fought in the American Revolution. And religious leaders were also outspoken in their support or opposition to the adoption of the Constitution of the United States and its governance after it was adopted. And all of them believed that Morality, Character, and Virtue based on biblical (i.e., Judeo-Christian) religious beliefs were essential to good governance and the wellbeing of society. It was these religious beliefs and the agitation of religious leaders that led to the rapid rise of the movement for slavery abolition after the adoption of the Constitution, as I have written in my article, “Slavery in the United States Constitution”.

Morality, Character, and Virtue were equally important as Religion to our Founding Fathers. Our Founding Fathers also held a specific meaning of these words:

• Morality - Motivation based on ideas of right and wrong.
• Character - The inherent complex of attributes that determines a person's moral and ethical actions and reactions.
• Virtue - The quality of doing what is right and avoid doing what is wrong.

Of these, Virtue was the most important for elected and appointed officials, as well as public servants, in the practice in their public duties. Virtue was also important for the people to practice, as it is necessary for the retention of our Liberties and Freedoms. This is exemplified by the following quotes by several of our Founding Fathers:

Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.”
 - Benjamin Franklin

“There exists in the economy and course of nature, an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness; between duty and advantage; between the genuine maxims of an honest and magnanimous policy, and the solid rewards of public prosperity and felicity; since we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained.”
 - George Washington

“Virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government,”
- George Washington

“Human rights can only be assured among a virtuous people.”
 - George Washington

“When public virtue is gone, when the national spirit is fled the republic is lost in essence, though it may still exist in form.”
 - John Adams

“Public virtue cannot exist in a Nation without private Virtue, and public Virtue is the only Foundation of Republics”
 - John Adams

“No government can continue good but under the control of the people; and … their minds are to be informed by education what is right and what wrong; to be encouraged in habits of virtue and to be deterred from those of vice … These are the inculcations necessary to render the people a sure basis for the structure and order of government.”
 - Thomas Jefferson

“No government can continue good but under the control of the people; and . . . . their minds are to be informed by education what is right and what wrong; to be encouraged in habits of virtue and to be deterred from those of vice . . . . These are the inculcations necessary to render the people a sure basis for the structure and order of government.”
 - Thomas Jefferson

“Republics demanded virtue. Monarchies could rely on coercion and “dazzling splendor” to suppress self-interest or factions; republics relied on the goodness of the people to put aside private interest for public good. The imperatives of virtue attached all sorts of desiderata to the republican citizen: simplicity, frugality, sobriety, simple manners, Christian benevolence, duty to the polity. Republics called on other virtues–spiritedness, courage–to protect the polity from external threats. Tyrants kept standing armies; republics relied on free yeomen, defending their own land.”
 - James Monroe

“I go on this great republican principle, that the people will have virtue and intelligence to select men of virtue and wisdom.”
 - James Madison

“If a man is not fit to govern himself, how can he be fit to govern someone else?”
 - James Madison

“Is there no virtue among us? If there be not, we are in a wretched situation. No theoretical checks--no form of government can render us secure. To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people, is a chimerical idea.”
 - James Madison

“The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.”
 - James Madison

“The aim of every political constitution is, or ought to be, first to obtain for rulers men who possess most wisdom to discern, and most virtue to pursue the common good of the society, and in the next place, to take the most effectual precautions for keeping them virtuous whilst they continue to hold their public trust.”
 - James Madison

“To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people, is a chimerical [imaginary] idea.”
 - James Madison

"If Virtue & Knowledge are diffused among the People, they will never be enslav'd. This will be their great Security."
 - Samuel Adams

“Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt.  He therefore is the truest friend of the liberty of his country who tries most to promote its virtue.”
 - Samuel Adams

“A vitiated [impure] state of morals, a corrupted public conscience, is incompatible with freedom.”
 - Patrick Henry

Yet Morality, Character, and Virtue were never mentioned in The Declaration of Independence nor in The Constitution of the United States. This was not because the Founding Fathers did not believe that these qualities were unimportant, but they believed it was the responsibility of parents to instruct their children in these qualities, with the assistance of religion and religious leaders to inoculate these qualities in their children. The Founding Fathers also believed that the State and Local governments were responsible for the education of our youth. This public education was to include, according to a report by Jefferson commissioned by the State of Virginia, that the purpose of pre-university education is to “instruct the mass of our citizens in theses, their rights, interests, and duties, as men and citizens.” However, Jefferson and other Founding Fathers also believed that public education should not teach any religion or religious doctrines as this was the responsibility of the parents. However, they did believe that acknowledgment of God and non-denominational prayers and petitions to the Almighty were acceptable in public education as well as in public forums.

Morality, Character, and Virtue are built upon a foundation of benevolent Religion or on a Philosophic basis. As most people are not philosophically inclined, nor have the time to become philosophically inclined, good, benevolent religious beliefs and practices provide the Morality, Character, and Virtue of a person. And good Morality, Character, and Virtue are necessary to retain Liberty and Freedom, and good governance. For, as it had been said:

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
 - John Adams

Therefore, if you wish to become a person of Morality, Character, and Virtue, then you must either practice benevolent religious beliefs or obtain a philosophical basis for your Morality, Character, and Virtue. And all Americans need to do this if we wish to retain our American Ideals and Ideas of Liberty, Freedom, and good governance.