We are often given the impression that the Founding Fathers intended a “strict separation of church and state” with no religious references allowed in the government.
But in reality, on June 28, 1787, during an impasse at the Constitutional Convention, one of the least orthodox of the founders – Dr. Ben Franklin – called on the convention delegates to pray to help break the logjam. This speech turned out to be a positive turning point in a convention that almost seemed doomed to failure.
The recent movie featuring Michael Medved, “The American Miracle,” captures the tension quite well – conflicts between big states and little states and an enormous rift over slavery. The movie crescendos with Franklin’s speech.
Said Dr. Franklin (as recorded by James Madison):
“The small progress we have made after four or five weeks close attendance … is methinks a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the Human Understanding. …
“In this situation of this Assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understanding?
“In the beginning of the Contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard, & they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a Superintending Providence in our favor.
“To that kind Providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?
“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. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?
“We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that ‘except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it.’ [Psalm 127:1] I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages. …
“I therefore beg leave to move – that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service.”
Wow. Here was one of the least religious of the Founding Fathers, a man whose beliefs were not orthodox, asking the delegates to remember God and seek His help.
Opponents of the thesis that America began as a Christian nation generally ignore this speech. But if they do mention it, they argue that the specific solution Franklin spelled out (that they bring in clergy for daily prayers) was not voted for. Nor was it voted against. Franklin felt his request seemed to fall on deaf ears.
But a variation of his request – that the framers pray together for God’s help to finish the task – did happen.
What impact did Dr. Franklin’s speech have on the Constitutional Convention? New Jersey delegate Jonathan Dayton tells us what it was like on July 2, when they reconvened for the first time since Franklin’s speech: “We assembled again; and … every unfriendly feeling had been expelled, and a spirit of conciliation had been cultivated.”
Then on July 4th, the entire convention attended a special church service, wherein Rev. William Rogers prayed for them: “We fervently recommend to the fatherly notice … our federal convention. … Favor them, from day to day, with thy inspiring presence; be their wisdom and strength; enable them to devise such measures as may prove happy instruments in healing all divisions and prove the good of the great whole; … that the United States of America may form one example of a free and virtuous government. … May we … continue, under the influence of republican virtue, to partake of all the blessings of cultivated and Christian society.”
But didn’t the Founding Fathers maintain the view that prayer in the public square was “unconstitutional”? Uh, these were the men who gave us the Constitution.
How low we have sunk in our secularism. We don’t need less God today; we need more godly influence, even in our government – as Dr. Franklin well noted.