Is religion mentioned in the U.S. Constitution?
Asked by: Norbert Ledner DVM | Last update: April 11, 2025Score: 5/5 (61 votes)
The First Amendment has two provisions concerning religion: the
What does the Constitution actually say about religion?
First Amendment Fundamental Freedoms
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
What did our founding fathers say about religion?
In his Farewell Address of September 1796, Washington called religion, as the source of morality, "a necessary spring of popular government," while Adams claimed that statesmen "may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely ...
What does article 6 of the Constitution say about religion?
After requiring all federal and state legislators and officers to swear or affirm to support the federal Constitution, Article VI specifies that “no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.” This prohibition, commonly known as the No Religious Test ...
Is God mentioned in the Bill of Rights?
The Bill of Rights addresses religion and the establishment of a church but does not mention God. The framers of the Constitution intended for the document to be a secular one and nowhere in the document is God mentioned except in the signing of it which uses the phrase ''Year of our Lord.
The U.S CONSTITUTION and RELIGION
Does the U.S. Constitution ever mention God?
In the United States, the federal constitution does not make a reference to God as such, although it uses the formula "the year of our Lord" in Article VII.
Where is Jesus mentioned in the Constitution?
The Constitution does not mention God, Jesus Christ, or Christianity. It contains the word “religion” only twice, in Article 6, which exempts government office holders from a religious test; and in the First Amendment.
What does article 7 of the Constitution mean in simple terms?
The text of Article VII declares that the Constitution shall become the official law of the ratifying states when nine states ratified the document.
What is the only crime defined by the Constitution?
Although there have been relatively few treason cases in American history, the Supreme Court has clarified what it means to "levy war" and provide "aid or comfort" to enemies. Treason is the only crime defined in the Constitution of the United States.
What does the Constitution say about loyalty to the Constitution and religious tests?
The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a ...
What did Thomas Jefferson say about religion in the constitution?
“Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared ...
How many times is God mentioned in the constitution?
The U.S. Constitution never explicitly mentions God or the divine, but the same cannot be said of the nation's state constitutions. In fact, God or the divine is mentioned at least once in each of the 50 state constitutions and nearly 200 times overall, according to a Pew Research Center analysis.
What did Benjamin Franklin say about religion?
I believe in one God, Creator of the Universe. That he governs the World by his Providence. That he ought to be worshiped. That the most acceptable Service we can render him, is doing good to his other Children.
Is God mentioned in the Declaration of Independence?
While the U.S. Constitution does not mention God, nearly all state constitutions reference either God or the divine, according to a 2017 analysis. God also appears in the Declaration of Independence, the Pledge of Allegiance and on U.S. currency.
Does the Constitution actually say separation of church and state?
"Separation of church and state" is a metaphor paraphrased from Thomas Jefferson and used by others in discussions of the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which reads: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or ...
Did the Bible influence the U.S. Constitution?
That said, the Constitution does express sensitivity to biblical convictions. For example, it permits presidents to swear or affirm their oaths, and it excludes the Christian day of rest (Sunday) from the ten-day time limit during which a president has to veto a law.
Has anyone in the U.S. been convicted of treason?
Martin James Monti, United States Army Air Forces pilot, convicted of treason for defecting to the Waffen-SS in 1944. He was paroled in 1960. Douglas Chandler, worker for National Geographic, convicted of treason in 1947 for defecting to Germany during World War II, sentence commuted by President John F. Kennedy.
What is the nickname for the 20th Amendment?
Commonly known as the “Lame Duck Amendment,” the Twentieth Amendment was designed to remove the excessively long period of time a defeated president or member of Congress would continue to serve after his or her failed bid for reelection.
Which branch has the power to declare war?
The Constitution grants Congress the sole power to declare war. Congress has declared war on 11 occasions, including its first declaration of war with Great Britain in 1812. Congress approved its last formal declaration of war during World War II.
What two powers are denied from Congress in the Constitution?
Section 9 Powers Denied Congress
No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed. No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken.
What does the 13th Amendment do?
Amendment Thirteen to the Constitution – the first of the three Reconstruction Amendments – was ratified on December 6, 1865. It forbids chattel slavery across the United States and in every territory under its control, except as a criminal punishment.
What does the 26th Amendment State?
The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.
What religion was the United States founded on?
Some researchers and authors have referred to the United States as a "Protestant nation" or "founded on Protestant principles," specifically emphasizing its Calvinist heritage. Others stress the secular character of the American Revolution and note the secular character of the nation's founding documents.
Where in the Bible does it say to follow the government?
The Bible speaks decisively to this issue. Romans 13:1-2 says: "Obey the government, for God is the One who has put it there. There is no government anywhere that God has not placed in power. So those who refuse to obey the law of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow."
Does it state in the Bible that Jesus is God?
The Bible says Jesus is unique in both His person and His purpose. He wasn't just some spiritual individual during His time on earth; He was both God's Son (John 3:16) and God Himself—God in human flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). Yes, He was fully man, but He was also fully God (Colossians 2:9).