“We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future ...upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to sustain ourselves, according to the Ten Commandments of God.”

Karen D, Tulsa, OK John Lipton, Atlanta, GA 6/29/23

He stated it in 1785 in his "Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments." 

Jay, Fl Karen D, Tulsa, OK 6/26/24

Karen, he said no such thing. You can read the document yourself. NOWHERE does he mention the ten commandments.

Dr_JSH, Tempe E Archer, NYC 5/10/22

This is one of many lies told by Christian nationalists.

Those aren't the 10 Commandments. They're the Bill of Rights.

HINT: Roman numerals are used. Those did not exist when Mosaic law was recorded.

HINT 2: We know this because the architect of the Supreme Court building kept scrupulous notes about every sculpture, frieze, column, etc.

E Archer, NYC Dr_JSH, Tempe 5/18/22

Hmm, you may well be right.  Where are those scrupulous notes?  I'd definitely be interested in all the details.

E Archer, NYC Dr_JSH, Tempe 5/18/22

And don't forget the Bill of Rights are rules for the government to follow because the rights of humankind cannot be legislated into or out of existence — they are inherent from birth, from our Creator, referred to as Nature's God in the Declaration of Independence.  This is the very foundation of America.

Dr_JSH, Tempe Anonymous 5/10/22

It's not a great quote. It's a manipulative lie to trick people into thinking the United States is a Christian nation, that Christians and Christianity have primacy in society, and that there is no barrier between (certain) Christians' religious proscriptions and law.

It is a horrendous quote because it perverts Madison into someone he was not. Madison NEVER exalted the 10 commandments in any of his writings. He was meticulous about the wall of separation between church and state.

You insist you want a negative proved. That's unrealistic. The burden is on David Barton (known liar about US history) to document where he found this quote, which appeared in one of his dirty-trickster books. And this he did not do.

Mike, Norwalk Dr_JSH, Tempe 5/11/22

JSH, your bigoted and prejudiced misinterpretation of terms and their use(s) is extremely stereotypical of a Woke bubble within an echo chamber enclave. It is absolutely accurate that the States united was to be a secular nation in harmony with "the laws of nature and of nature's God" (Declaration of Independence). The occupying statist theocracy currently infesting this land has clearly established itself as the national establishment of religion. Please don't try and use a WIKI definition of religion, it is meant to rewrite history for the uniformed and gullible.

FYI, the legal use of "god" in a secular jurisprudence does not denote an extra human experience (such as acts of god for insurance purposes — it is simply a phraseology that means something that is out of control of corporeal man). 

As there are personal, social and extra human references within the decalogue, it is obvious that all of the 10 Commandants was NOT to be the premise of a jurisprudence that was to be an ancient Hebrew natural / secular law (law of nature and nature's God; not a Greek / academic / philosophical or morally based natural law or legal positivism — morality was not to be legislated) — personal sovereignty (with servant representatives thereof), inalienable rights and liberty.

E Archer, NYC Dr_JSH, Tempe 5/18/22

The quote is labeled as False.

Karen D, Tulsa, OK Dr_JSH, Tempe 6/29/23

You are correct that Madison talked of a wall of separation between church and state to PROTECT the Church from a national religion and overreach by the government. The "separation of church and state" is no where in our Constitution. It is a lie propagated by those who are trying to remove religion and remove the Church from being involved in government. That phrase come from Thomas Jefferson in his letters to Danbury Baptist Association. Jefferson was concerned of government overreach into the Church not the reverse. 

Dr_JSH, Tempe joe, midland, mi 5/10/22

A liar who intended to manipulate people into believing the United States is a Christian nation.

Dr_JSH, Tempe Mike, Norwalk 5/10/22

There is nothing accurate in the quote.

James Madison would never claim the 10 Commandments were integral to US law — because they weren't.

This is  Christian-nationalist lie. The Constitution purposely excludes all mentions of Christianity and all other religious. We have a secular government, intentionally.

I'm stunned by (1) how many Christians bald-face lie to rally support for the nonsense the United States is a Christian nation and (2) the myriad upon myriad people who are so uninformed of US history and gullible that they absorb and believe this false history by osmosis. No skepticism at all.

E Archer, NYC Dr_JSH, Tempe 5/18/22

Canonical Law is the root of the British Common Law and American Common Law.  All the legal terminology still in Latin has its origins in the Catholic canonical law. 

E Archer, NYC E Archer, NYC 5/18/22

Also, the Ivy League colleges of today were seminaries originally.  The Jesuits can be credited with most of the work on jurisprudence around the world.

E Archer, NYC Dr_JSH, Tempe 5/18/22

"Secular" does not mean atheistic.

BK, Ohio Dr_JSH, Tempe 5/28/23

The Constitution states that it was finished on Sept. 17 "in the year of our Lord" 1787. It also says that Sundays were not included in the 10 days for the president to sign/veto legislation.

Karen D, Tulsa, OK Dr_JSH, Tempe 6/29/23

It would be good if you actually learned the history of America and what our founding fathers actually believed and said. For example:

“It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.” George Washington

“The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which heaven itself has ordained.” George Washington

“We recognize no sovereign but God, and no king but Jesus!” John Adams

“I consider a decent respect for Christianity among the best recommendations for public service.” John Adams.

“The reason that Christianity is the best friend of government is because Christianity is the only religion that changes the heart.” Thomas Jefferson

“The Bible is the first and almost the only book deserving of universal attention.” John Quincy Adams

“My custom is to read four or five chapters of the Bible every morning immediately after rising. It seems to me the most suitable manner of beginning the day. It is an invaluable and inexhaustible mine of knowledge and virtue.” John Quincy Adams

“The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.” John Quincy Adams

It is undeniable that this country was based on God as the Creator and the Bible. Even the least "religious" among the founding fathers--like Ben Franklin--prayed and acknowledged God. Your denial of facts doesn't change what took place.

Mike, Norwalk Ronw13, Yachats Or 4/17/20

Thank you Ronw13

Karen D, Tulsa, OK Bryan, Hopkins 6/29/23

That would not be correct. He said it in 1785 in his pamphlet "Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments." 

Kevin Starnes, Washington DC Karen D, Tulsa, OK 1/10/24

Nope. This is nowhere in MRARA.

Jay, Fl Karen D, Tulsa, OK 6/26/24

Why are you making shit up? you can literally read the document and that is not there.

Mike, Norwalk Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown 5/11/22

Sillik, you had me until your last sentence. Now, I can't quit uncontrollably laughing while shaking my lowered head ;-). From your kingly perch, what are you smoking to give such vision(s) 

Mike, Norwalk Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown 1/6/23

Sillik, the strength of nature is a belief in the individual's sovereignty. Each sovereign's inalienable rights by definition do not / can not be extended to a communal government. The naturally occurring strength of any body politic (government) is limited to a "duty" (not right) to protect the individual sovereigns rights and liberty. The strength of government is limited to only those extremely few duties, anything else is despotism, tyranny and degradation of the specie. 

Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown Matt, Idaho 7/2/23

Matt: If it wasn't for God, America would exist.

Mike, Norwalk Matt, Idaho 7/2/23

Matt, if you have been following this blog for anytime you would have recognized that Sillik is a fulfillment of James 1:8 - “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” Sillik regularly lies, makes up new meanings to words / concepts and otherwise dribbles word salad that can only be understood through a mentally ill child’s disillusionment (-; him / Sillik ;-). Sillik’s grand illusion of being the supreme being on the planet (with no equal - there can be no god but Sillik) again qualifies him for scriptural fulfillment. Sometimes Sillik addresses the qualities of the individual then, out of the other side of his mouth, he proclaims the superiority of an incomprehensible Borg simile (according to Sillik, he is the only true socialist that now or has ever existed).

Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown Mike, Norwalk 7/2/23

Flattery will get you no where with me, Mike, Norwalk 

Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown 7/2/23

Also Mike, Norwalk, you left out pertinent facts that I'm sweet as sugar, and cute as a button.

Mike, Norwalk Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown 7/2/23

Sillik (-; I like it a lot ! ! ! ;-)

Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown 1/2/24

And also don't forget; Socialism is the challenge of social abilities to create.