American Christians have advanced liberty and equality in our nation. As Mark David Hall writes:
“Contrary to many academics and popular authors, I show that Christians have regularly been motivated by their faith to create fair and just institutions, fight for political freedom, oppose slavery, and secure religious liberty for all.”
Mark David Hall’s book makes a strong case that Christians have done tremendous good. He acknowledges Christians are not perfect – and some have made horrible mistakes. On the whole, however, America’s Christian foundation created a republic based on democratic ideas. Moreover, the American people have fought for sacred rights such as freedom and equality under the law, and in doing so America sent slavery on the road to extinction, created the highest standard of living in world history, and defeated oppressive authoritarian regimes around the globe.
In making his case, Hall writes in-depth about three subjects: a) the founders, b) slavery, and c) the separation of church and state.
The Founders
From the beginning, Hall makes clear the Puritans helped establish democratic values and freedom in the new world. From those roots the story of the United States of America began. The Founders were mostly Christians and valued freedom. The War for Independence was just and right because it was based on liberating people, as God intended.
The break from Great Britain created the founding principles penned in the Declaration of Independence:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Though Hall does not expound upon the idea of natural law, it’s important to understand that the Founders saw freedom as a natural condition because it’s ordained by God. Those rights should not be taken by any person or government – and we have a duty to resist governments ceasing our God given rights.
Two additional points are noteworthy: 1) The Founders were not acting contrary to their faith by waging war on Great Britain. In fact, resisting tyrannical rule was self-defense. 2) 84% of colonist were considered by the crown as “religious dissenters.” The tension was palatable, the War was inevitable.
Slavery
Slavery was terribly wrong for many reasons. Hall lists those reasons and widens the lens of understanding the “peculiar” institution. Most surprising is his revelation that most founders did not participate in the slave system and no founder defended it. Those who benefited did so for financial gain, and they should be rightly condemned for those actions. The founders collectively took many steps towards ending slavery.
In Hall’s view, the founders have been rightfully criticized for not doing more to end slavery.
During his discussion, Hall brings perspective to the debate. First, he reminds his readers that Europe brought the institution of slavery to America. The United States made the practice extinct. Additionally, he shows the following:
- Of the 12.5 million Africans kidnapped and made slaves, only 3% came to America. The rest went to Brazil and the Caribbeans.
- Puritans, who established much of our basic institutions, were anti-slavery.
- Christians believe all humans are created in the image of God. Most Christians recognized, and all should have, that slavery was contrary to their faith.
- The US was the first country to take significant steps towards ending slavery – and we didn’t bring it here in the first place.
The most important fact Hall wants known is that most Christians in America opposed slavery. There were some who could not see the sin because money and tradition worked as blinders, but Christians led the abolitionist movement. Christians equally opposed the displacement of Native Americans and have championed many other noble causes.
The Separation of Church and State
“Contrary to the assertions of some scholars, popular authors, and jurists, there is little evidence that American’s founders desired to strictly separate church and state…The vast majority of founders desired only to avoid a national established church, not to build a wall of separation between church and state.”
As Hall notes, balancing the Establishment Clause of the US Constitutions with the Free Exercise Clause hasn’t always been easy. On the one hand, the Constitution prevents the establishment of a national religion. On the other, it says the government cannot interfere with the free exercise of religion. For most, this means, “The Constitution does not require a secular public square.” Communities, like individuals, should be free to erect monuments, put up the Ten Commandments, display crosses or stars of David.
Ultimately, religious liberty is paramount. Our nation protects religious liberty.
Hall’s Final Analysis
Hall concludes that Christians have done a great deal to advance liberty and equality for all people, not always perfectly, but overall have worked tirelessly for it. The promises of the Declaration of Independence were not fulfilled at the founding or in the 20th century. W e are still not at the Promised Land, but we are working on it. Accordingly, we must continue working for a nation in which everyone recognizes their unalienable rights.
“The War of American Independence was a biblical and just war fought to secure political and religious liberty. It is no accident that one of the most prominent symbols of American freedom, the Liberty Bell, is inscribed with the biblical admonition to ‘proclaim liberty throughout all the land’ unto all inhabitants thereof.”
If liberty is right with God, then the Founders assumed it was good for their new country.
