Everyone knows that Patrick Henry said, “Give me liberty or give me death”. But did you know he also said, “It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was not founded, by religionists, but by Christians. Not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ.” These words bear witness to the fact that our Founding Fathers knew this nation could survive only if she stood on the solid rock that is Christ Jesus.

Notice he said this nation was not founded by religionists. A religionist is a person whose faith is placed in the rules, regulations, and other trappings of a religion. The establishment of this nation came about, not because of religious people, but because of Christians who followed Christ. These Followers of Christ knew that we are endowed with unalienable rights by our Creator. The government of the United States was instituted to secure these rights and must never be allowed to become destructive of these rights.

In the early 1700s from the pulpits of Protestant churches, people were taught they were to be bond slaves to Christ and Christ alone. The sermons of many humble preachers stirred the souls of men to receive a Great Spiritual awakening. It was this Great Awakening that unified the thirteen colonies into one nation under God. From the pulpits were heard great patriotic sermons teaching that freedom was a God-given right. These pastors were determined that no one should infringe on their congregation’s rights of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. The men who heard these sermons became the Minutemen who marched into battle with Great Britain determined to have Liberty or Death.

The right to worship freely is the foundational right of all the unalienable rights given to us by the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God. When the Freedom of Religion is abolished all other rights will soon be gone. We must never relinquish our right to worship and the focus of our worship must always be Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only One who can give Life, Liberty, and Happiness.

Douglas & Deborah Huff