The words of John Adams begin this discussion and lesson: He said, "Our constitution was made only for a religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other. ... A careful reading and study of the Constitution should lead to an understanding of its contents that shows that morality, while it isn’t mentioned, is the underlying foundation of the document. Morality wasn’t written into the Constitution since that is the responsibility of the people. Mankind will either be moral or immoral (some would argue that amoral, neither for or against morals or immorality is a viable belief) and the founders were a moral people who realized the necessity of morals in all areas of life. Further, the Constitution isn’t a document to limit the behavior of people but that of the government (read government as those who hold government office).

Drawing on another Bible principle, Paul addressed the fact of behavior in Romans when he addressed the keeping of the law which had both ceremonial and   moral requirements for the Jews. He wrote: [Rom 2:14] For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Following law, rules, and the principles contained in them is sometimes called the law of the heart and plainly stated, Paul was talking about doing right versus wrong. In other words, conscience and an understanding of proper behavior constrained the behavior of the Gentiles. Though they didn’t have the guidelines of the Jewish law (it didn’t apply to them with all teaching to the contrary being wrong), they knew what God required in the way of decent behavior and thus were constrained within those moral bounds. That is the reason that morals aren’t included in the Constitution and explains the meaning of the statement of John Adams.

In a letter to Colonel Martin Pickett, 5 March 1786, Richard Henry Lee wrote, “It is certainly true that a popular government cannot flourish without virtue in the people.” Without any doubt virtue (closely related to dunamis, meaning power to that which is right because of general moral excellence and goodness of character) is a valid component of God’s moral teachings. Al Gore said when challenged about fund raising in the White House, that there wasn’t any controlling legal authority to prevent it. What about conscience and the appearance of evil? A Bible principle applies to Mr. Gore's conduct. Paul wrote: [1Thessaloinians 5:21] Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. [1 Thessalonians 5:22] Abstain from all appearance of evil. However, not all things can be outlawed. It takes a conscience in tune with God to practice the right behavior of abstaining from evil.

Our founders understood the need for morals and virtue to be practiced by the people, especially those in the government service. Along with the need to practice personal morality based on the moral principles of God, which serve as constraint on conduct, government has to set constraints in the form of punishment for behavior that harms people and their property. Alexander Hamilton wrote in Federalist No. 15,  “Why has government been instituted at all? Because the passions of men will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without constraint.”  The constraint is a listing of the consequences that will be applied in a just manner to the violators when man’s rightful laws are violated. The law isn’t supposed to be any respecter of persons as Benjamin Rush wrote in a letter to David Ramsay near April of 1788, "[W]here there is no law, there is no liberty; and nothing deserves the name of law but that which is certain and universal in its operation upon all the members of the community”

A Biblical principle spoken by Peter applies to that just  application of the consequences. Luke recorded the following: Acts 10:34, Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:  The Constitution was written with that in the minds of the founders. A moral people certainly will understand that fact.

© 02-20-2006 DEC

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