Christian Heritage Ministries: Articles & Interviews

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Commandments in the U.S. Supreme Court)

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The Christian Heritage of the 50 United States of America
By Catherine Millard, copyright 2000

Following are excerpts from The Christian Heritage of the 50 United States of America. Almighty God of the Bible is glorified and thanked in each of the 50 States’ Constitutions. Here are some of them:

Alabama
(name of an Indian Tribe)

The Preamble of the Constitution of the State of Alabama states that, We the people of the State of Alabama, in order to establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following Constitution and form of government for the State of Alabama.

Delaware
(After Lord De la Warr)

The Constitution of the State of Delaware states that, Through Divine goodness, all men have by nature the rights of worshipping and serving their creator according to the dictates of their consciences…and, It is the duty of all men frequently to assemble together for the public worship of Almighty God; and piety and morality, on which the prosperity of communities depends, are hereby promoted,...

Florida
(Flowery)

The Preamble to the Constitution of the State of Florida states that, We the people of the State of Florida, being grateful to Almighty God for our Constitutional liberty, in order to secure its benefits, do ordain and establish this Constitution.

Georgia
(After George II of England)

The Preamble to the Constitution of the State of Georgia states that, To perpetuate the principles of free government, insure justice to all, preserve peace, promote the interest and happiness of the citizen and of the family and transmit to posterity the enjoyment of liberty, we the people of Georgia, relying upon the protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution.

Idaho
(sun coming down mountains)

The Preamble to the Constitution of the State of Idaho states that, We the people of the State of Idaho, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and promote our common welfare, do establish this Constitution.

Illinois
(man)

The Preamble to the Constitution of the State of Illinois states that, We the people of the State of Illinois, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He has permitted us to enjoy and seeking His blessing upon our endeavors…and secure the blessings of freedom and liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the State of Illinois.

Indiana
(land of the Indians)

The Preamble to the Constitution of the State of Indiana states that, We the people of the State of Indiana, grateful to Almighty God for the free exercise of the right to choose our own form of government, do ordain this Constitution.

Maryland
(After Queen Henrietta Maria,
wife of King Charles I of England and
daughter of Henry IV of France)

The Constitution of the State of Maryland states that, We the people of the State of Maryland, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty…and, Nothing shall prohibit…the making reference to, belief in, reliance upon, or invoking the aid of God or a Supreme Being in any governmental or public document, proceeding, activity, ceremony, school, institution or place.

Massachusetts
(great mountain place)

The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts states that, As the happiness of a people, and the good order and preservation of civil government, essentially depend upon piety, religion and morality; and as these cannot be generally diffused through a Community, but by the institution of the public worship of God, and of public instructions in piety, religion and morality: Therefore, to promote their happiness and to secure the good order and preservation of their government, the people of this Commonwealth have a right to invest their legislature with power to authorize and require, and the Legislature shall, from time to time, authorize and require the several towns, parishes, precincts, and other bodies politic, or religious societies, to make suitable provision, at their own expenses, for the institution of the public worship of God and for he support and maintenance of public protestant teachers of piety, religion and morality.

Mississippi
(father of waters)

The Constitution of the State of Mississippi states that, We the people of Mississippi, in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking His blessing on our work do ordain and establish this Constitution…no preference shall be given by law to any religious sect or mode of worship; but the free enjoyment of all religious sentiments and the different modes of worship shall be held sacred. The rights hereby secured shall not be construed to justify acts of licentiousness injurious to morals or dangerous to the peace and safety of the State, or to exclude the Holy Bible from use in any public school of this State.

Ohio
(great)

The Constitution of the State of Ohio states that, We, the people of the State of Ohio, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings, and promote our common welfare, do establish this Constitution…All men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own conscience…Religion, morality and knowledge, however, being essential to good government, it shall be the duty of the general assembly to pass suitable laws to protect every religious denomination in the peaceable enjoyment of its own mode of public worship, and to encourage schools and the means of instruction.

Oklahoma
(from the Indian, “red people”)

The Preamble to the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma states that, Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in order to secure and perpetuate the blessing of liberty…we, the people of the State of Oklahoma, do ordain and establish this Constitution.

Pennsylvania
(“Penn’s Woodland,” named by Charles II,
after Admiral Penn, father of William Penn,
founder of Commonwealth)

The Preamble to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania states that, We, the people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance, do ordain and establish this Constitution.

Rhode Island
(“red” island, named for its red clay)

The Preamble to the Constitution of the State of Rhode Island states that, We, the people of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, grateful to Almighty God for the Civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing upon our endeavors to secure and to transmit the same unimpaired to succeeding generations, do ordain and establish this constitution of government.

South Dakota
(alliance with friends)

The Preamble to the Constitution of the State of South Dakota states that, We, the people of South Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberties…and preserve to ourselves and to our posterity the blessings of liberty…

Vermont
(from the French “Verd Mont,”
meaning “Green Mountain”)

The Constitution of the State of Vermont states, That all men have a natural and unalienable right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences and understandings, as in their opinion shall be regulated by the Word of God;…Nevertheless, every sect or denomination of Christians ought to observe the Sabbath or Lord’s day, and keep up some sort of religious worship, which to them shall seem most agreeable to the revealed will of God.

The Commonwealth of Virginia
(After Elizabeth I, Virginia Queen of England)

The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia states, That religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction; not by force or violence; and, therefore, all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love and charity towards each other.

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