Testing, Testing
Faith and Freedom
Hi friends,
For generations, Americans have understood that faith is not something to hide — it shapes our character, our leadership, and our understanding of freedom itself.
Today, faith and freedom are both being tested. If you prefer to think in terms of morality and ideology (a belief system), this post still applies.
Where, in the past, politics used faith as a declaration of good character, more recently faith has been denigrated. The phrase, ‘separation of church and state’, has been abused in an attempt to downplay and exclude faith from public view and acceptance.
But that phrase, nor that meaning, isn’t in the Constitution or any governmental document.
And its modern use often flips the Founders’ intent on its head.
This wasn’t a nation built on the idea that faith should be hidden or excluded. In the colonies, many public officials were actually required to affirm faith — sometimes even professing faith in Jesus Christ before taking office.
Also today, faith is making a comeback. Young people are reaching out, listening, and returning to faith. Leaders are speaking more openly, partly because we currently have many leaders who have faith, who live their faith. National efforts like America Reads the Bible* are bringing Scripture back into the public square.
* Week of April 18-25, 2026.
This moment is a reminder — not just of what we believe, but of what is required of us.
Freedom doesn’t sustain itself. It never has.
(Side note: I saw the film, “A Great Awakening” and recommend it - very well done.)
Faith, Freedom, and Our Inherited Duty
Somewhere along the way, a version of history that doesn’t match reality has been instituted. (Many believe that factual civics courses have not been in our schools for quite some time.)
We’re told that “separation of church and state” means faith should be pushed out of public life — out of schools, out of government, out of leadership. False, another instance of abuse of words and trying to redefine.
According to Thomas Jefferson and his letter and David Barton, as well as other history experts, the limitation is that government shall not require, prohibit, or interfere with one’s religion, except to the extent incompatible with the Constitution or the rights of others. It is wholly asinine to believe the founders would want to keep faith out of government when such a huge part of everything they did included God and prayer.
What is in the Constitution is a protection — that government cannot establish a national religion and cannot interfere with the free exercise of faith.
That’s a very different thing.
The Founders weren’t trying to remove religion from public life. They were protecting faith from government control.
And for most of our history, that’s exactly how it has been known and understood.
Presidents spoke openly about faith. Leaders referenced Scripture. Public expressions of belief were expected, seen as a sign of character, used in political campaigns to get votes.
We still see leaders openly emphasize their religious identity when it suits the moment. (A recent example is how Biden used his Catholicism when it suited the administration’s purpose.)
As to our inherited duty, that goes hand-in-hand with our inherited freedom: If you don’t take care of (duty) an inheritance (freedom), you lose it.
Has “Separation” Become Exclusion?
Instead of protecting religion from government, we have increasingly seen religion being pushed out of public life and out of public acceptance — especially Christianity and Judaism, the very traditions that shaped our nation.
At the same time, institutions bend over backwards to accommodate religious demands in other contexts — in schools, in workplaces, even in government spaces. Do you wonder at the division? It’s so intentional…
Americans are aware, more every day, that some faiths are denigrated while others are accommodated, amplified, and encouraged, often in the name of inclusion.
This is another example where words are incorrectly used for ideological purposes. Some people in different religions use name-calling (such as racist or islamophobe) to create fear of reprisal for speaking freely. Self-censoring is often the result. Zealots (Someone who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals) claim ‘freedom of speech’ for their purposes, but decry it when others use it to express differing views.
Faith Is Making a Comeback
Despite the efforts of those who prefer otherwise, faith is making a comeback.
You see it in younger generations who have heard it and are grasping the good news..
You hear it in voices like Charlie Kirk, who speak openly about faith, culture, and responsibility.
You see it in national efforts like America Reads the Bible, where leaders and citizens alike are publicly engaging with Scripture again.
Even in the political sphere, expressing faith is once again becoming comfortable is the public sphere.
That matters.
Because for all the attempts to sideline it, faith has always been part of America’s foundation — not just of personal belief, but of public life.
The Foundation Some Forgot
The idea that our rights come from God is not a side note in American history — it is the cornerstone. (Cornerstone - an indispensable and fundamental basis.)
The Declaration of Independence makes it unmistakably clear:
We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights.
Not by government.
Not by kings.
Not by majority vote.
By our Creator.
That belief didn’t appear out of nowhere. It was shaped and spread by voices like Reverend George Whitefield, whose preaching helped ignite a spiritual awakening across the colonies — one that emphasized God-given rights, equality, personal responsibility, moral accountability, and freedom of conscience.
It created a culture that understood something essential:
Freedom requires a moral foundation.
As John Adams warned:
“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
That wasn’t rhetoric. It was a recognition of reality.
We hear the word ‘existential’ too often. The definition is ‘related to or dealing with existence’. Well, it doesn’t get much more existential than freedom.
If rights came from government, they could be taken by government.
If freedom depended on power, it could be reshaped - as has been tried - by those in power. Think globalists and globalism.
But because rights come from God, they are not subject to political trends, cultural pressure, or shifting majorities.
That distinction is everything.
And it’s exactly why the meaning of “separation of church and state” matters so much.
Because if that phrase is used to push faith, and its expressions, away, then the very foundation of our God-given rights is destroyed.
Our Duty — Then and Now
Earlier generations understood duty differently than we often do today.
They fought wars. Barefoot in the snow with dysentery.
They risked everything. Their lives, their fortunes, their sacred honor.
Many lost their lives. They suffered, their loved ones suffered.
These facts are more than words. Every defender is a hero.
That was their responsibility in their time. Today’s troops carry the same heavy mantle.
Ours is lighter — but no less necessary.
We are called to be informed.
To vote.
To engage in our communities.
To speak up when truth is distorted.
Because freedom doesn’t sustain itself.
It depends on a people willing to protect it.
This Moment
We are living in a moment where foundational ideals are crucial. We must hold tightly to these truths, not allow dissolution or redefining to suit those with unamerican ideology.
Many Americans are awakening and reawakening to:
Faith.
Responsibility.
Truth.
Freedom grounded in God-given rights.
The question isn’t whether those things matter.
The question is will Americans stand for them.
Faith is not meant to be hidden or downplayed.
God gave us His Word to teach, to guide, to strengthen, to comfort.
And so, to preserve these God-given freedoms we’ve inherited, earned with God’s help, by those before us, we must not sit quietly.
Additional sources:
Jefferson Letter to Danbury Baptists
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-36-02-0152First Amendment
https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-1/Declaration of Independence
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
As always, do your own research and make up your own mind.
White paper on land and water rights: Property Rights and Freedom: A White Paper on America’s Disappearing Land
United we stand. Divided we fall. We must not let America fall.
VoteTexas.gov, https://www.votetexas.gov/get-involved/index.html
Disclaimer:
As always, do your own research and make up your own mind. This Substack is provided for informational and commentary purposes only. All claims or statements are based on publicly available sources and are presented as analysis and opinion, not legal conclusions.
No assertion is made of unlawful conduct by any individual, company, or government entity unless such claims are supported by formal public records or verified legal documents. The views expressed here reflect my personal perspective on property rights and land use issues.
While I strive for accuracy and transparency, readers are encouraged to verify all details using the official sources and references provided. Any references to third-party material are included solely for your consideration and do not necessarily reflect my views or imply endorsement.
If you share this content, please include this disclaimer to preserve context and clarity for all readers.
Until next time…
Please share your thoughts in the comments. Or email me, and let’s have a problem-solving conversation. I welcome ‘letters to the editor’ type emails and may publish yours. I hope we can create a caucus with positive, back-to-the-founders’-dream-for-America results. Have a topic you want to know more about?
Some housekeeping…
Going forward, you may need to check your spam folder. And please mark this address as ‘not spam.’ If the newsletter isn’t in your spam folder either, you should look in the Promotions tab.
You can always see everything on the website, RationalAmerican.org.
Thanks again for reading! I’m glad you’re here!