The Religious Views Of The Founding Signers

The Religious Views Of The Founding Signers

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, November 24, 2025 (Donate)

The Signers And Their Local Denomination

Most of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were clearly members of Christian churches (Congregationalist, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Quaker, Lutheran, Baptist, etc.) and one was a Roman Catholic. No signer ever blatantly denied Christ or Scripture.

Several signers didn’t write much on their personal understanding of biblical matters or if they did, it hasn’t survived. Nonetheless, they were members of certain churches for their life’s duration and thus, we can know what they largely believed by that.

Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia, PA where the Continental Congress held sessions in 1775; Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

Rarely, especially in that age, would someone be an active member of a local Christian church as a Hindu, pagan, atheist and so on! Tallied below are the religious affiliation of the signers.

·       New Hampshire

Josiah Bartlett – Congregationalist
William Whipple – Congregationalist
Matthew Thornton – Presbyterian

·       Massachusetts

John Hancock – Congregationalist
Samuel Adams – Congregationalist; wrote: “We have this day restored the Sovereign to whom alone men ought to be obedient.” (Letter to James Warren, 1775)
John Adams – Congregationalist (later Unitarian); wrote extensively of Providence: “The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity.” (Letter to Jefferson, June 28, 1813)
Robert Treat Paine – Congregationalist
Elbridge Gerry – Congregationalist

·       Rhode Island

Stephen Hopkins – Quaker
William Ellery – Congregationalist

·       Connecticut

Roger Sherman – Congregationalist; helped draft the Doctrinal Creed of Yale; wrote: “I believe that there is one only living and true God... and that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are a revelation from God.” (Sherman Manuscript Confession)
Samuel Huntington – Congregationalist
William Williams – Congregationalist
Oliver Wolcott – Congregationalist

·       New York

William Floyd – Presbyterian
Philip Livingston – Presbyterian
Francis Lewis – Presbyterian
Lewis Morris – Episcopalian

·       New Jersey

Richard Stockton – Presbyterian
John Witherspoon – Presbyterian minister; signed as “Rev. John Witherspoon” and wrote: “Cursed be all that learning that is contrary to the cross of Christ.” (Sermon, 1776)
Francis Hopkinson – Episcopalian; church music composer
John Hart – Baptist
Abraham Clark – Presbyterian

·       Pennsylvania

Robert Morris – Episcopalian
Benjamin Rush – Presbyterian
Benjamin Franklin – Raised Presbyterian; wrote: “God governs in the affairs of men.” (Speech at Constitutional Convention, 1787)
John Morton – Lutheran
George Clymer – Episcopalian
James Smith – Presbyterian
George Taylor – Episcopalian
James Wilson – Presbyterian
George Ross – Episcopalian

·       Delaware

Caesar Rodney – Episcopalian
George Read – Episcopalian
Thomas McKean – Presbyterian

·       Maryland

Samuel Chase – Episcopalian
William Paca – Episcopalian
Thomas Stone – Episcopalian
Charles Carroll of Carrollton – Roman Catholic; wrote: “On the mercy of my Redeemer I rely for salvation.” (Carroll letter, 1825)

·       Virginia

George Wythe – Episcopalian
Richard Henry Lee – Episcopalian
Thomas Jefferson – Episcopalian for a time (theologically unorthodox, but Christian by identification); wrote: “God who gave us life gave us liberty.” (Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVIII)
Benjamin Harrison – Episcopalian
Thomas Nelson Jr. – Episcopalian
Francis Lightfoot Lee – Episcopalian
Carter Braxton – Episcopalian
George Read – Episcopalian

·       North Carolina

William Hooper – Episcopalian
Joseph Hewes – Quaker (returned to Anglican fellowship near death)
John Penn – Episcopalian

·       South Carolina

Edward Rutledge – Episcopalian
Thomas Heyward Jr. – Episcopalian
Thomas Lynch Jr. – Episcopalian
Arthur Middleton – Episcopalian

·       Georgia

Button Gwinnett – Congregationalist
Lyman Hall – Congregationalist minister
George Walton – Episcopalian

The Big Three

Though some say six, there are definitely three that resisted orthodox teachings on Christ and His deity. Naturally, these are John Adams (unitarian), Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. They were resistant to the full teachings of Scripture, yet respected the Bible and often drew from it or openly borrowed from the Word of God. All acknowledged the God of the Bible, whether they ever surrendered to Christ is unknown—likely not.

Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams; Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

These men questioned certain doctrines, but never denied Christ’s existence, never denied God’s reality, and often affirmed biblical morality and Providence which was predicated on the Bible. 

Take Jefferson for instance. He believed in a form of “god” and believed this “god” to be just and often quoted from the New Testament while denying it was the true revelation from God.

But here in lies the problem. How would he know anything about the existence of “a god”, if the Bible is not a revelation from the God; how would he know that this alleged “god” of his was just? Knowing anything about God is predicated on God's revelation of Himself and knowing that God is just comes from that same revelation?

Jefferson absolutely faced this unsurmountable philosophical problem—and his entire religious system depends on rejecting biblical revelation while still trying to claim knowledge of God. This places him in a self-contradictory position when examined carefully. Thus, it is self-refuting.

Jefferson thought humans could know:

·       that “a god” exists

·       that “a god” is moral

·       that “a god” is just

·       that “a god” judges nations

·       that “a god” created moral law

·       that “a god” can be appealed to

Yet, without this alleged “god” revealing that to us, one can’t know any of it. This form of “natural religion”, that man can reason it on his own, is purely arbitrary and unsupportable logically.

Some have suggested that Jefferson’s belief was deism, however, in deism, “a god” is hands off and this alleged “god” cannot be known because “it” doesn’t reveal anything. So, you can’t know if this “god” exists or that “it” would be moral, just, and judge! This supposed “god” definitely cannot be appealed to because a deistic “god’ doesn’t act in the affairs of man. See the logical inconsistencies? Without revelation:

·       You cannot know if your “god” is just

·       You cannot know if your “god” cares about morality

·       You cannot know if your “god” rewards virtue

·       You cannot know if your “god” judges nations

·       You cannot know if your “god” is personal

·       You cannot even know if your “god” is one

·       You cannot even know if your “god” uses male pronouns!

These things are not deducible from reason alone. Jefferson arbitrarily assumed them (the reality is that he borrowed them from the Bible), but he could not ground them or have any basis for them within his own system of belief. These are fatal inconsistencies for his worldview.

Conclusion

Did you (the readers) notice the point though? Almost all the signers were blatant Christians. Even non-signers like George Washington was devout in his faith (e.g., consider his support of the John Brown Self-Interpreting Bible now known largely as the Washington Bible). And yet, we spent so much time talking about the compromised signers—like Jefferson or Franklin).

The fact is that most signers were Bible believers and followers of Christ and faithful to their local denomination. Even these others like John Adams, Ben Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson, often borrowed from the Bible and appealed to it without hesitation, even though their hearts weren’t with the Christ of the Bible.

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council. 

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.

Pre-1776 Legal Christian Documents In England And The Colonies

Pre-1776 Legal Christian Documents In England And The Colonies

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, November 14, 2025 (Donate)

The United States, prior to being their own fledgling nation, was part of British Empire. The colonials came largely from England and few places within Christianized Europe.  

The USA Was Born Out Of A Christian Nation

From the 1600s to 1776, the colonies were Christian in their outlook, governance, and daily life. Christianity permeated the entire culture. This was in the days prior to Charles Darwin when the religion of secular humanism began taking over in the latter part of the 1800s in England.

King John signing the Magna Carta AD 1215; Image requested by Bodie Hodge (Chat GPT)

Prior to 1776, documents like the Magna Carta or the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion were in force as legal documents. With this in mind, it shows that the United States started with an immersion of Christian worldview in every area of society.

What was the Magna Carta and other religious and political documents of the time? Let’s evaluate these in more detail to show the heavy Christian roots even prior to the founding of the nation.

The Legal Christian Documents

The United States won their independence from England and later called the United Kingdom. England (technically the Kingdom of Great Britain at the time the United States became independent) was unmistakably a Christian nation, especially in its Anglican denominational identity post-Reformation. This can be shown by several foundational legal documents.

Magna Carta Of AD 1215

The Magna Carta arose in 1215 when King John’s heavy taxation military failures, and arbitrary and changing rules pushed English land owners (lords/barons) to rebellion. Yes, this is the same King John in Robin Hood shows!

English landlords demanded that the king recognize ancient God-given rights and limit his power under law. Negotiations at Runnymede—a rural area next to the Thames River in Surrey, England—resulted in a charter that bound the king to legal restraints, protected the English Church, and secured rights for nobles and, indirectly, free men. It was essentially a peace treaty that became a foundational document for constitutional government that has influenced the entire Western World.

The Magna Carta (originally in 1215, reaffirmed in 1225) begins with the explicit declaration that the English Church shall be free, placing the realm under God and recognizing the Christian Church as a protected and central institution within English law. A few blatantly Christian quotes are:

1. “First, we have granted to God, and by this present charter have confirmed for us and our heirs forever, that the English Church shall be free, and shall have its rights undiminished and its liberties unimpaired.”

2. “The English Church shall be free, and shall have its rights undiminished, and its liberties unimpaired.”

3. “We have granted and given to God, and by this present charter have confirmed, for us and our heirs forever, the freedom of the Church of England and all its rights and liberties.”

4. “We have granted to the archbishop of Canterbury, primate of all England, and to the bishops and clergy of our kingdom, all their accustomed liberties.”

5. “The Church of England shall enjoy all its ancient liberties free and unhurt.”

Bear in mind that this is prior to the Reformation and the official organization of the Church of England (Anglican Church).

The Acts of Uniformity Of 1559

The Acts of Uniformity, particularly those of 1559 and 1662, mandated Anglican worship throughout the nation by requiring the use of the Book of Common Prayer, enforcing attendance at Anglican services, and binding ministers, educators, and many public officials to affirm Anglican doctrine.

Of course, this caused tension with other denominations coming out of the Reformation like the Reformed or Puritans—many of whom later fled to the colonies due to heavy persecution. Even so, these sources show clearly that England’s government, monarchy, and public life were legally and structurally Christian (a particular denomination of Christianity) at the time the United States emerged as an independent nation.

At the founding of the US, there was never a question about the freedom and intertwinement of Christianity in politics. It was how to navigate a key difference from that of England. How to be Christian (with Bibles and Law) without imposing one denominational view on all citizens. England imposed Anglicanism and persecuted those who weren’t, even if they were orthodox in their biblical view (unlike Rome’s deviation from Scripture).

Thirty-Nine Articles Of Religion (1571)

Doctrinal standards such as the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (1571) shaped the nation at a deeper level. While designed for the Church of England, the Articles influenced universities, clergy licensing, education, and the expectations for many public officials.

Grand Church buildings blanket the United Kingdom many with ancient roots; Phot by Bodie Hodge

Parliament required conformity to these Christian doctrines in various capacities, making the Articles a kind of national theological framework.

The Test Acts Of 1673

Beyond the monarchy, Parliament (House of Lords and House of Commons) and public office were also tied to Christianity. The Test Acts of 1673 and 1678 required anyone serving in civil or military office, including members of Parliament, to take the Lord’s Supper according to Anglican practice and publicly reject Catholic doctrines.

Parliamentary oaths reinforced this requirement by including affirmations such as “upon the true faith of a Christian.” These measures meant that service in the House of Commons or House of Lords required explicit Christian profession.

The Coronation Oath Act Of 1688

The Coronation Oath Act of 1688 required every monarch to vow before God to maintain the laws of God, uphold the true profession of the Gospel, and defend the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law. This made the Christian (specifically Anglican) faith a constitutional requirement for the head of state, who also served as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

This is why the King or Queen of England—to this day—is the head of the Anglican Church.

During Queen Elizabeth II's reign she headed the Church of England. In her passing, King Charles, her son, ascended to those duties over the Church of England. Public Domain image.

Bill of Rights Of 1689

England’s identity as a Christian nation was reinforced by several major documents that shaped its monarchy, Parliament, and civil order. The Bill of Rights of 1689 required that the monarch be Protestant and barred Catholics from the throne, embedding Protestant Christianity directly into the constitutional structure.

This made the Christian faith a prerequisite for national leadership and was intended to secure the nation’s stability through adherence to the Protestant religion. This Bill of Rights also protected people from excessive bail and cruel punishments. One can easily see how this document had influenced the US Constitutional Bill of Rights, even though they are very different documents.

The Act of Settlement Of 1701

The Act of Settlement of 1701 strengthened this by insisting that the monarch must profess the Protestant faith, remain in communion with the Church of England, and pass the crown only to Protestant heirs. This is why some heirs of the past were overlooked because they were not Protestant.

Since the King or Queen serves as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, this act ensured that the nation itself remained aligned with Protestant Anglican Christianity in both governance and religious identity. Together, these acts placed the Christian faith at the core of the English constitution.

Conclusion

Collectively, these sources show that England was constitutionally, culturally, and politically a Christian nation during the period when the United States was founded. This meant that the colonies were also under that same influence. Even though some suggest that the United States was formed as a secular nation (e.g., the religion of secular humanism), remedial research shows the opposite was the case.

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council. 

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.

 

 

 

 

 

“In God We Trust”—The Motto Of The USA

“In God We Trust”—The Motto Of The USA

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, October 7, 2025 (Donate)

It surprises many today, since the USA has increasingly moved to the religion of secular humanism (i.e., a “no God” religion), that the motto of this nation is “In God We Trust”. It appears on our currency official seals, courtrooms, state buildings, and has even been on postage stamps showing the influence of the Christian God.  

Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

Origin and Expansion of the Motto

The phrase "In God We Trust" traces its inspiration to the War of 1812—often called the Second Revolutionary War, where the US was trying to retain their Independence from Great Britain. The National Anthem was written during this war. In the famous Star-Spangled Banner written by Christian (Episcopalian) Francis Scott Key in 1814, the anthem's fourth stanza includes the line:

“And this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust!’”

Though this verse is rarely sung today, it clearly expresses a sentiment of national reliance on God. Though popular and often used for state events (Naval Flag raisings in the 1800s for instance), this song was not officially recognized as the National Anthem until 1931. Nevertheless, this line laid the groundwork for the later adoption of "In God We Trust" in a more official capacity.

Francis Scott Key writing the Star-Spangled Banner; Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

The unofficial status of the motto and national anthem before their “official” date were deeply rooted and engrained in American society. Much like the eagle being the unofficial bird of the USA, but was not recognized until 2024!

Amid the American Civil War, public sentiment grew increasingly concerned with national morality and divine favor in the Lord. Many citizens wrote to the U.S. Treasury Department, urging the government to acknowledge God on the nation’s currency—to which they obliged.

Responding to this movement, a Christian (Episcopalian), Salmon Chase, who was Secretary of the Treasury under President Abraham Lincoln, instructed the Director of the Mint to prepare a motto recognizing God. And an 1864, "In God We Trust" appeared on the two-cent coin.

Over the following decades, the motto was gradually added to more coins, especially those with sufficient space for inscriptions. It became a familiar—though not yet universal—feature of American money. Florida adopted the state motto “In God We Trust” in 1868. They reaffirmed this motto in 2006. The motto appears on both the state seal and state flag.

By the mid-20^th century, during the height of the “Cold War”, U.S. leaders sought to distinguish the United States from atheistic communist regimes. In this climate, religious expression was increasingly seen as a patriotic virtue.

In 1956, Christian (Presbyterian) and President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a law that Congress had passed officially declaring "In God We Trust" the national motto of the United States. The law states:

"In God we trust" is hereby declared to be the national motto of the United States.[1]

The following year, in 1957, the motto was added to paper currency for the first time—starting with the $1 silver certificate. Its use expanded from there.

Cartoon version of a Silver Certificate from 1957; Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

The official seal of the U.S. House of Representatives includes the motto “In God We Trust” prominently beneath the eagle. Several U.S. states feature “In God We Trust” in their official seals, flags, or mottos.

Besides Florida, Mississippi, in 2014, updated its state seal to include “In God We Trust” and in 2020, the new state flag also incorporated the motto. Georgia, while not part of the official full-color state seal, “In God We Trust” appears in some official versions, especially those used by the General Assembly and in courtrooms.

The phrase has been widely adopted on state-issued license plates (e.g., Kentucky for example), government buildings, courtrooms, and statehouse chambers. Many schools, city halls, and police departments across the U.S. have displayed “In God We Trust” as a symbol of godly heritage, tradition, and patriotism.

Establishment Clause

Today, "In God We Trust" appears on all U.S. coins and paper currency. Its use has been upheld in multiple court cases—a traditional and historical expression, not a direct establishment of religion.

This should be obvious; the founding fathers of the USA openly referenced God or Jesus Christ and didn’t see that as a violation of the Establishment of Religion Clause in the First Amendment of the Constitution.

This is where a lot of people who don’t understand are confused. The Establishment of Religion Clause stands opposite of the English system that they were rebelling against where one Christian denominational view was established as the state standard and other Christian denominational views were then persecuted.

Christian was never the target of the establishment clause. Denominationalism was. In other words, even if the USA officially declared Christianity as the national standard, that would not be in violation of the Establishment Clause—however, if they had said something like the Baptist denomination, Episcopalian denomination,  Lutheran denomination, or the Anglican denomination is the national standard, then that would have been in violation of the Establishment Clause.

This is why having open support for the God of Christianity and the Bible was welcome in state affairs without question and those who literally wrote the establishment clause didn’t see this as a violation of it. The ones who wrote and supported the Establishment Clause were the same ones purchasing Bibles for use in public classroom education.

James Madison, "the Father of the Constitution"; Image from The White House Historical Association

They didn’t want to repeat the errors that occurred in England by forcing one Christian denomination onto other Christian denominations. The Establishment Clause was to protect the freedom to exercise their local denominational Christian religion without being persecuted by the state. Sadly, states and non-Christian religious persons attack Christians for their free exercise all the time and are dragged into court to defend themselves today.

Conclusion

From the line in The Star-Spangled Banner, to its first coin appearance during the Civil War, and its official adoption during the “Cold War”, "In God We Trust" is a powerful national symbol reflecting America's Christian heritage. It reflects a longstanding theme in American life: the belief that the nation’s freedom and endurance are tied to God’s guidance and grace.

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.  

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[1] Public Law 84-851.