By Congressman Bill Sali (Idaho-01)

This nation was founded on the principle of freedom of religion - a principle that I emphatically embrace and have taken an oath to defend. But our nation’s freedom of religion does not mean, as some history revisionists would like us to believe, that our Founding Fathers weren’t religious, nor that they didn’t embrace Christian principles. They most certainly did. The Founders recognized that “it is impossible to rightly govern the without God and the Bible.” It is unfortunate those words, which come directly from George Washington, would be deemed narrow-minded or bigoted if they were spoken today.

James Madison and John Adams would also be viewed as bigoted. Madison spoke of how the Almighty had extended His hand at critical stages of the American Revolution, allowing our nation to survive and thrive.

Adams wrote, “The general principles upon which the Fathers achieved independence… were the general principals of Christianity… I will avow that I believed and now believe that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.”

Was Benjamin Franklin culturally insensitive when he noted that it was difficult to imagine that our country could have come into being without the guidance, influence and governance of God? Franklin wrote that the Founders had “daily prayers for divine protection,” and that their prayers were “graciously answered.”

“I have lived a long time,” Franklin wrote, “and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs 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?”

And when I say that continued reliance on Christian principles have benefited this country in its past and will in its future, you need only look at Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln urged “intelligence, patriotism, Christianity and a firm reliance on Him” to get our country through our country’s darkest hour, the Civil War.

He made a promise to God, that once Union soldiers won the battle at Antietam, he would issue the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves. And he did.

I’m sorry that my comments in support of my faith have been taken grossly out of context. But I’m not sorry to defend my faith, nor should I be.

I believe it is important to reach out to the hand of God for guidance and His protective hand and continued blessings upon our country. That is something that I do each morning and each night. I believe the invocation in Congress is an important matter and that we ought reach out to the God of the Bible, because it is He who continues to allow this country to prosper and He is responsible for the country’s longevity.

That is what I was trying to convey in the radio interview a couple of weeks ago. It was difficult to do that in a limited amount of time. I suppose I could have done a better job explaining my position, but I also think it is wrong to take one small part of that interview and claim that is the whole of my position.

The Judeo-Christian principles on which our republic was founded can be embraced, defended and practiced by people of any faith. Anyone doing so will find an ally in me. But when principles outside of the Judeo-Christian tradition begin to be promoted within Congress, we should all recognize that the government given to us by the Founding Fathers will be at risk. That should give every American serious pause.

If you enjoyed this article, consider subscribing to the full-feed RSS.