THE DEMOCRAT PARTY DIVORCES GOD AND THE AMERICA OF 1776

The Democrat Party’s divorce from God has become final. In 2019, the Democrat National Committee (DNC) unanimously passed a resolution affirming atheism and declaring that neither Christianity nor any religion is necessary for morality or patriotism. In other words, “We don’t need God!”

On August 24 of this year, the DNC doubled down on their rejection of God by passing another resolution praising the values of the "religiously unaffiliated." That this resolution was affirming atheism is confirmed by the fact that it was championed by the Secular Coalition of America, an organization that lobbies on behalf of atheists, agnostics, and humanists on public policy.

The Democrat Party's divorce of God should come as no surprise. At the 2012 Democrat National Convention, a majority of the delegates wanted to remove a reference to God from the party platform. When the leaders decided to leave it, the audience loudly booed. They did not want even a superficial reference to God.

Individual politicians may continue to refer to their faith or their prayers, but the actions and official policy statements of their party tell the real story.

In rejecting God, the Democrat Party has rejected the America of Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Lincoln, and King. They have rejected the America of “In God We Trust.” They have rejected the America that is “one nation under God.” They have rejected the America of 1776.

God and America Were Married in the Minds of the Founders

For the first 150 years of America’s existence, no one questioned the axiom America is a Christian nation. This did not mean that everyone was a Christian or that the nation officially sanctioned any denomination or religious sect. 

It meant, instead, that the majorty of citzens professed to be Christians and that the nation’s laws and institutions were founded on Christian principles and values.

This fact was stated by the U. S. Supreme Court in 1892 in the case of Church of the Holy Trinity vs The United States. After examining thousands of historical documents, the nation’s highest Court declared,

There is no dissonance in these declarations. There is a universal language pervading them all, having one meaning. They affirm and reaffirm that this is a religious nation . . .. From the discovery of this continent to the present hour, there is a single voice making this affirmation. These, and many other matters which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a Christian nation (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 6-7).

In rejecting God, the modern Democrat Party has rejected the America of her founders. Washington, Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin all agreed with James Madison, the nation’s 4th president and chief architect of the U.S. Constitution, who said,

The belief in a God All Powerful, wise and good, is so essential to the moral order of the world and to the happiness of man, that arguments which enforce it cannot be drawn from too many sources nor adapted with too much solicitude to the different characters and capacities impressed with it (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 111).

It was their faith in God that gave them hope that America could get through her challenges and rise above her sins. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. understood this and in his “I Have a Dream Speech” he praised America’s founding documents and declared that he dreamed of a day when Americans of every race would sing together the words of that patriotic hymn,

My country 'tis of Thee, sweet land of liberty, of Thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

Ben Franklin Would Vehemently Reject the DNC

The Democrat Party’s rejection of God has drawn no criticism from party stalwarts such as Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, or Joe Biden. They apparently have accepted the statement of the DNC that God and Christianity are unneccesary for the nation’s success.

Contrast their attitude to that of Benjamin Franklin, considered one of America’s most nonreligious founders. When Thomas Paine sent him a manuscript in which he challenged the idea of a prayer-answering God and other aspects of orthodox Christian doctrine, Franklin reacted swiftly and vehemently.

Franklin refused to print the book, and in strong language urged Paine not even to allow anyone else see it. He wrote,

I would advise you, therefore . . . to burn this piece before it is seen by any other person; whereby you will save yourself a great deal of mortification by the enemies it may raise against you, and perhaps a good deal of regret and repentance. If men are so wicked with religion [Christianity], what would they be if without it (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 138).

Franklin may have questioned certain aspects of Christian doctrine during his life, but he was convinced that only Christianity provided the moral teachings for a stable and successful society. He dreaded the thought of what would happen if that influence were removed.

Christian Morality is Absolutely Necessary

Although they did not want an official, state church, America’s founders agreed that only Christianity provided the moral influence that would lead to a stable and prosperous society. Modern research has confirmed their view.

Some years ago, I listened as Charlie Rose (hardly a conservative) interviewed a social scientist who had just led and completed a study of the power of symbols, including religious symbols. One thing he said grabbed my attention.

He said they discovered that a person sitting in a room with a Bible in view, is less likely to tell a lie than if the Bible is not there. They discovered that the very presence of the Bible exudes a positive moral influence. This would also be true of crosses, Bible verses, and Ten Commandment displays.

Sadly, the Democrat Party has supported the removal of Ten Commandment displays, crosses, and other Christian symbols from public property. When President Obama spoke at Georgetown University, a Catholic institution, he demanded that the Christian symbol behind the podium where he was to speak be removed.

Are we not seeing the consequences of these actions? With Bible reading, prayer, and Christian symbols having been banned from schools and public property, their positive influence is no longer felt, and evil runs wild. We need God back in the public life of our nation!

The Consequences of Democrats Gaining Power

If Democrats gain power in November, they will continue to seek the removal of every vestige of God from the public life of this nation. Christians will be persecuted, and the America of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and King will be a thing of the past.

This is why Christians of every denomination and theological persuasion must pray for God’s intervention in our land. Pray that He will visit America once again with another Great Awakening. Then, on November 3 (or before), cast your vote for the party that will welcome God back into the public life of this nation.

This article is derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt's book, 1726: The Year that Defined America, which is available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com. He is also the founder of the "1726 Project" dedicated to informing the nation about America's birth out of the Great Awakening and calling for prayer for another national, spiritual awakening.