Since the change in political power at the beginning of this year, the new leadership in the 110th Congress rolled out anti-life, anti-family and anti-freedom legislation. In the first few weeks of January, legislation was proposed to silence pastors, churches and other nonprofit organizations. While the Senate bill (S. 1) has been temporarily defeated, Speaker Nancy Pelosi continues to push the House version. If passed, the House bill will treat most churches like lobbyists and require them to file costly, burdensome and speech-restricting forms, merely for speaking out on political and legislative matters.

The new Congress immediately took aim at embryonic stem cell research and passed legislation that would require federal funding to create human life for the purpose of experimental research. Fortunately, that bill lacks enough votes to override a promised veto by President Bush.

Then Congress focused its sights on the family. H.R. 254, the House’s new version of the Hate Crimes Law, was introduced. This law seeks to elevate homosexuality to civil rights status by including it as a hate crime category. This legislation poses a significant threat to freedom of speech. Liberty Counsel has prepared a detailed memorandum addressing the dangers of hate crimes laws. Thus far we have been able to defeat this legislation, but this time around we will have a major battle on our hands. We can defeat this bill, but we must take the challenge of this new Congress seriously.

The 110th Congress seems bent on ignoring the obvious: No law that is morally unsound can ever serve the people’s welfare. If Congress passes laws that glorify homosexuality and belittle marriage as the union of one man and one woman, we will inevitably reap disastrous results. Sadly, the consequences of Congress’s moral failure will fall on individual citizens whose pursuit of life, liberty and happiness will be tragically affected for the worse.

The Founding Fathers understood the importance of having sound governmental policies founded upon moral principles expressed through the Holy Scriptures. To remain free we must have the fires of liberty burn in our souls and we must no longer be silent. John Adams, our first Vice President and second President, said, “Let the pulpit resound with the doctrines and sentiments of religious liberty.” George Washington was always mindful of God’s hand in forming America. In 1789, he said: “The man must be bad indeed who can look upon the events of the American Revolution without feeling the warmest gratitude towards the great Author of the Universe whose divine interposition was so frequently manifested in our behalf.”

Noah Webster left no doubt about the importance of governing with godly principles. He once remarked, “The religion of Christ and his apostles, in its primitive simplicity and purity, unencumbered with the trappings of power and the pomp ceremonies, is the surest basis of a republican government.”

The man who gave us the famous Webster’s dictionary unashamedly proclaimed: “[T]he moral principles and precepts contained in the scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws. These principles and precepts have truth, immutable truth, for their foundation; and they are adapted to the wants of men in every condition of life. They are the best principles and precepts because they are exactly adapted to secure the practice of universal justice and kindness among men; and of course to prevent crimes, war, and disorders in society. No human laws dictated by different principles from those in the gospel, can ever secure these objects. All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery, and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible.”

Our Founding Fathers set up our republican form of government to have checks and balances so that power would not reside in one political institution alone. They understood the depravity of man and knew that our fallen nature required accountability and limitations on power. They also understood that in order for our form of government to succeed, the governed must be moral, knowing right and wrong. This morality would come from a Judeo-Christian foundation. Regarding our Constitution, John Adams said: “[W]e have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

In 1776, John Adams wrote to Zabdiel Adams, saying, “Statesmen my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand. . . . The only foundation of a free Constitution, is pure Virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People, in a greater Measure, than they have it now, They may change their Rulers, and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting Liberty.” Similarly, in 1790, James Wilson, in The Laws of Nature, wrote: “Having thus stated the question – what is the efficient cause of moral obligation? – I give it this answer – the will of God.”

Writing to Benjamin Rush in 1807, John Adams spoke of the importance of Scriptures and a moral people. He said, “The Bible contains the most profound philosophy, the most perfect morality, and the most refined policy, that ever was conceived upon earth. It is the most republican book in the world, . . . . [W]ithout national morality a republican government cannot be maintained.” George Washington echoed the common understanding of the Founding Fathers in his Farewll Address delivered in 1796: “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of true Patriotism, who should labour to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and citizens. . . . And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on the minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience forbid us to expect that National morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”

Knowing that law cannot be separated from morality and understanding the importance of training new generations, the Founding Fathers emphasized the need for religious-based education. The First Congress, during its first session, reaffirmed the Northwest Ordinance, which said in part: “Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall be forever encouraged.” Benjamin Rush also observed: “[T]he only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in Religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments. . . . A Christian cannot fail of being a republican. . . . A Christian cannot fail of being useful to the republic, for his religion teacheth him, that no man ‘liveth to himself.’”

The first compulsory education law was passed by the Colony of Massachusetts in 1647. The purpose of compulsory education was to teach people how to read so they could read the Scriptures. The law was commonly referred to as The Old Deluder Satan Act, so named because Satan is a liar and his “chief project” is “to keep men from the knowledge of the Scriptures.”

The people must be moral for government to prosper. This principle was commonly understood. It was also understood that moral people have a duty to elect moral people. On this point, Noah Webster was clear: “When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public officers, let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers, just men who will rule in the fear of God. The preservation of a republican government depends on the faithful discharge of this duty; if the citizens neglect their duty, and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted; laws will be made, not for the public good, so much as for selfish or local purposes; corrupt or incompetent men will be appointed to execute the laws; the public revenues will be squandered on unworthy men; and the rights of citizens will be violated or disregarded. If a republican government fails to secure prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws.”

We often take life for granted. In difficult times, we recognize our need, but during times of prosperity, we tend to think we can make it on our own. When this new political experience was about to self-destruct before it was birthed, Benjamin Franklin rose up and reminded everyone that just because they survived the Revolutionary War did not mean they no longer had need of God. When the bickering increased and the hope of forming a Constitution to guide this new political enterprise dimmed, Franklin stood up and boldly proclaimed: “We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that ‘except the Lord build the House, they labour in vain that build it.’ I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better that the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages.” He then proposed that henceforth each time they gathered for political business they start their meetings with prayer. This event began the long history of offering prayers to start each legislative session. After they bowed and prayed, unity filled the room. The moment of prayer was the decisive turning point in the birth of this Nation. Prayer changed the direction of America. From that meeting, the Constitution of the United States of America was formed.

Today, we must not forget our Friend. We must not grow weary of the battle. If we lose ground, it will only be because we fail to show up for the battle. Now, more than ever, we must pray and we must engage the culture.

In 1983, when Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn received the Templeton Award, he began his address with these words: “Over half a century ago, while I was still a child, I recall hearing a number of older people offer the following explanation for the great disasters that had befallen Russia: ‘Men have forgotten God; that’s why all this has happened.’ Since then I have spent well nigh fifty years working on the history of our revolution; in the process I have read hundreds of books, collected hundreds of personal testimonies, and have already contributed eight volumes of my own toward the effort of clearing away the rubble left by that upheaval. But if I were asked today to formulate as concisely as possible the main cause of the ruinous revolution that swallowed up some sixty million of our people, I could not put it more accurately than to repeat: ‘Men have forgotten God; that’s why all this has happened.’”

Let us not forget God. Let us not give up. Let us heed the words spoken by Moses to the people of Israel as they were caught between the advancing armies of Pharaoh and the Red Sea, when he said: “Press forward!”

As we press forward, we must collectively search our soul. We must recognize our need for a Savior. We must humble ourselves before our God, seek forgiveness and ask God to heal our divided land. Then we must fearlessly move forward. We must never be ashamed of the Gospel.