Posted by
David J. Hall on Friday, December 08, 2006 7:26:34 PM
Our founding fathers exhibited enormous wisdom when they constructed the Constitution in 1787. During this same constitutional convention, written by the exact same founding fathers that we respect so highly today (and rightly so), another document also came into being.
That document is referred to as The Northwest Ordinance of 1787. This was a document that they created to establish the standards that they expected of future states that may develop in the Northwest territory, and who would likely at some future date approach Congress and apply for admission to the Union.
For those of us who live in the Northwest (especially in my home state of Oregon), we continue to benefit from the wisdom of our founding fathers as articulated in The Northwest Ordinance of 1787.
Specifically, when it comes to keeping our heart on the right path, they issued wisdom in Article 3 as follows:
- "Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged."
The same people who drafted the Constitution of the United States also drafted this Ordinance -- in the exact same convention! Scripture admonishes us to keep our heart on the right path (Proverbs 23:19), and our founding fathers offered the same counsel.
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 hardly supports the [misguided] notions of some who purport that the so-called "separation of church and state" phrase [found in a letter of one of the founding fathers] lends itself to the philosophy of maintaining a society devoid of any religion, and of having an amoral approach to life and liberty.
Religion, morality, and knowledge (truth!) are necessary to a society that seeks happiness and peace.
Thanks for reading, and for considering [once again] the wisdom of our founding fathers, and also the wisdom of our heavenly Father.