Polarization is the inescapable theme of the moment. Yet, the reality is that the US has always struggled through division, with even the Founding Era being a far more fractious time than our own. And yet, time and time again, Americans have united around the principles of government founded on the consent of the people and the natural rights of all as articulated in the Hebrew Bible.
At each perilous stage in our history–from the arrival of the Pilgrims to the Founding, from the Civil War to the fight for Civil Rights–the Hebrew Bible has provided both the principles and the stories upon which Americans could realize a “more perfect union.”
In fact, the Bible’s profound influence can be seen at the very origin of our nation. From May 25, 1787, to September 17, 1787, the Framers wrote our Constitution, which, at 239 years old, is the oldest functioning constitution in the world. It helped that the Founders didn’t have to start from scratch, but instead built off a rich biblical tradition that would shape the colonies’ legal and political structure, directly influencing the Declaration of Independence and Constitution.
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