God and the Northwest Ordinance
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, October 14, 2025 (Donate)
When the United States was going through its initial set up
and founding, there were 4 primary documents of Law. The first is the popular Declaration
of Independence—which appeals to God over the King of England for
independence.
Organic Laws Of The USA
The next three are for governance in the collection of
states and territories that are now a new nation. These 3 documents of law are the:
· Articles of Confederation (initial government system)—1776-1777
· Northwest Ordinance (governance for territories)—1784-1787
· Constitution and the Bill of Rights (governance for states)—1787-1789 (1791 for the Bill of Rights to be Amended to the Constitution)
Together, these 4 make up the Organic Laws of the United States. The Declaration gives power to the Articles of Confederation which in turn gives power to the Northwest Ordinance and the Constitution. Furthermore, the Constitution succeeds the Articles of Confederation as main rule of law for states and the Bill of Rights, which are attached to the Constitution, are the untouchables.
All four of these documents mention God one way or another
and is built on Christian law and morality. In this article, I wanted to
discuss the religious aspects of the Northwest Ordinance.
The Northwest Ordinance And God
Article III
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 (also called the Ordinance
for the Government of the Territory of the United States, North-West of the
River Ohio) contains a reference to God and a Christian life. Consider Article
III:
"Religion, morality, and
knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind,
schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged. The utmost good
faith shall always be observed towards the Indians; their lands and property
shall never be taken from them without their consent; and in their property,
rights, and liberty they shall never be invaded or disturbed, unless in just
and lawful wars authorized by Congress; but laws founded in justice and
humanity shall from time to time be made, for preventing wrongs being done to
them, and for preserving peace and friendship with them.”
While this sentence does not mention "God" explicitly by name, it’s to be interpreted within the broader Christian moral framework of the Founders' era. This is the most famous religious reference in the Ordinance.
The Ordinance clearly elevates religion and
morality as essential to a functioning republic. At the time, this was widely
understood as referencing a Christian moral foundation, particularly protestant
values based on the 66 books of the Bible.
Keep in mind that the concept of “goodness” (e.g., good and
bad/good and evil) is a Christian concept directly from the Bible that is often
borrowed by other religions. The phrase “religion and morality” was commonly
used in 18th-century American political writings to reference
Christian doctrine and ethics.
Founders like George Washington
and John Adams used similar language, consistently referring to Christian religion as
the moral foundation of the republic. In the 1780s United States, there was no
significant Hindu, Buddhist, or Islamic presence in the political or religious
discourse. If anything, there was a small influence of Catholicism (which
agrees that the Bible is true!). The default religion without question was a
Christian conception of God (almost exclusively Protestant).
Public education, referenced in the same sentence quoted above, typically
used the Bible as a foundational text—especially in New England and frontier
territories. The Bible was the primary textbook to learn religion and other subjects.
Article I
The ordinance also contains an indirect reference to God in
the following:
"And for extending the
fundamental principles of civil and religious liberty, which form the basis
whereon these republics, their laws and constitutions are erected; to fix and
establish those principles as the basis of all laws, constitutions, and governments
which forever hereafter shall be formed in the said territory: to provide also
for the establishment of states, and permanent government therein, and for
their admission to a share in the federal councils on an equal footing with the
original states, at as early periods as may be consistent with the general
interest: it is hereby ordained and declared by the authority aforesaid, that
the following articles shall be considered as articles of compact between the
original States and the people and States in the said territory, and forever
remain unalterable, unless by common consent, to wit:
Article I. No person, demeaning
himself in a peaceable and orderly manner, shall ever be molested on account of
his mode of worship or religious sentiments, in the said territory.”
While the Northwest Ordinance is not overtly
theological—that wasn’t its purpose—it still requires a religious basis for
law, morality, and governance. Thus, it reflects the Founders’ widespread
belief in a religiously-informed moral order—especially for free and educated
citizens. The protections for religious liberty (e.g., denominational variance)
is also a precursor to the First Amendment (ratified in 1791).
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 implies a Christian
understanding of God, based on the historical, cultural, and political context
of its authors and the early American Republic. The Ordinance was drafted and
passed by the Continental Congress having power under the Articles of
Confederation and the Declaration, composed primarily of men shaped by
Christian thought, particularly various denominations of protestant
Christianity.
Our Lord
The only direct reference to God is in the closing:
“Done by the United States, in
Congress assembled, the 13th day of July, in the year of our Lord,
1787…”
Here, our Lord is mentioned and is in direct reference
to Christ. Timekeeping since the King of Kings stepped into history to claim
His throne is important and relevant. This isn’t in reference to the Fall of
Troy or the birth of Buddha, but refers to time referents regarding Jesus
Christ who is openly called “our Lord”.
The values embedded—religion, morality, and knowledge as
essential to good government—mirror the dominant Christian moral philosophy of
the time, especially influenced by Reformed (Calvinist) and Enlightenment
Christian ideals.
Conclusion
As mentioned before, the liberty of various denominations
(free exercise of religion) was largely within the Christian religion as a
whole. Article I ensures freedom of worship, meaning other denominational faiths
were not persecuted like they were in England, to which the USA just gained
their independence.
“No person… shall ever be
molested on account of his mode of worship or religious sentiments…”
However, this does not mean that the drafters had a
pluralistic or relativistic view of God. Rather, it meant liberty of conscience
within a culture already steeped in Christian theism. The God in reference in
the Northwest Ordinance has only the Christian religion in mind.
The God implied and mentioned in the Northwest Ordinance
is clearly the God of the Bible (Christ)—understood through a broadly Christian
(especially Protestant) lens.
□
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.
