Around 1980 some on the far right saw how useful religion can be to those who seek power. In 2024 they will continue to push for the USA to be ruled by their rigid form of Christianity. They lie about: (1) this nation’s history and (2) their claim to speak for all Christians. 1/9

A theocracy is “Government of a state by those who are believed to be or represent that they are acting under the immediate direction of God or some other divinity.” [FN1] The USA never has been a theocracy. We know from primary sources about this country’s founding. [FN2] 2/9

Neither “God” nor “Jesus Christ” appears in:
1) The Congressional resolution that authorized the writing of The Declaration of Independence and The Articles of Confederation, 3/9

2) The Declaration of Independence; or
3) The Articles of Confederation.
4) The 1787 Congressional authorization of a Convention “for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation.” [FN3] 4/9

5) At the convention, Benjamin Franklin’s motion to open each session with prayer was offered on June 28, over a month after the first session, and never was brought to a vote. [FN4]
6) The Constitution makes no reference to “God” or “Jesus Christ.” 5/9

A Constitution did invoke “the favor and guidance of Almighty God,” [FN5] protected “the right of property in negro slaves,” [FN 6] and used the three-fifth figure for slaves. [FN7] It only was in effect from 3/11/1861 to 4/12/1865. It was the Confederacy’s constitution. 6/9

Since the Confederacy died, either the specific “God” did not favor the Confederacy, lacked the “oomph” to do the treasonous racists any good or only is fictional. We shall look, soon, at the Federalist Papers and State ratification conventions. 7/9

Footnotes: FN1. Black’s Law Dictionary, 10th ed., 2014, p. 1706. FN2. Primary sources are original records created during the time under study. Fordham University Libraries, LibGuides, American Studies: Primary Sources. 8/9

Footnotes: FN3. Yale Law School https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/const04.asp
FN4. Collier & Collier, Decision in Philadelphia, 2007 ed., p. 162. FN5. Preamble. FN6. Art. I, §9 para 4. FN7. Art. I, §3. 9/9