Morality, Knowledge, Religion, and America Essay

The founding fathers believed that morality, knowledge and religion went hand in hand when it came to shaping our country. For example, Thomas Jefferson was a man known to be of moral character, of great knowledge, and a man of God, all of these attributes made him a great leader. The founding fathers felt that this nation could be built on honor, integrity, and freedom because those attributes are what meant something at that time. Our founders strongly believed in the positive influence Christian principles had upon our nation’s governmental structure and institutions, and the overwhelming majority of them held a world view based on the Bible. † (Beliles, Anderson 2005) The Reverend Billy Graham speaks of what honesty means. â€Å"We are honest and trustworthy in all our dealings. People can trust our word, because we refuse to lie or shade the truth. † (Graham 2006). Would these same beliefs and principles be successful in the now religiously diverse America? Absolutely, the problem is that this nation has drifted away from the Biblical principles that the founding fathers based it upon. Even with a religiously diverse America, people still want leaders that are moral, knowledgeable, and have faith. When leaders show faith we as Americans feel better about their morality. Americans feel that there is a level of trust there that otherwise may not be there if faith was not in the picture. I know that I feel more secure with a leader that I feel is a Christian and will uphold Biblical principles. As Christians, we understand that â€Å"for those that love the Lord all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. † Romans 8:28 As our Founding fathers shaped our nation through the Constitution, we can truly see how God took control of the Convention and allowed his will to be done. After the Convention, Dr. Franklin wrote, â€Å"Our General Convention, when it formed the new Federal Constitution was influenced, guided, and governed by that omnipotent beneficent ruler in whom all live, and move, and have their being. (Beliles and Anderson, 2005) Franklin was not the only one to recognize the presence of a higher power, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Rush were among just a few. Our Nation is falling apart piece by piece because we have taken God out of every basis of our country and if we got back to the morality, knowledge, and religion that America was built on then we just might see a difference.