All the state constitutions have what the U.S. Constitution lacks: God

If the information in the e-mail that I quote below is correct, it’s astonishing. The preambles of the constitutions of all 50 states make reference to God. What a shame that the federal Constitution itself is barren of God! Attempts were made in the 19th century to add language acknowledging God to the U.S. Constitution by amendment, but they failed.

Here are the relevant passages from all 50 state constitutions, followed by some observations by me:

Alabama 1901, Preamble

We the people of the State of Alabama, invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following Constitution.

Alaska 1956, Preamble

We, the people of Alaska, grateful to God and to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land.

Arizona 1911, Preamble

We, the people of the State of Arizona, grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution.

Arkansas 1874, Preamble

We, the people of the State of Arkansas, grateful to Almighty God for the privilege of choosing our own form of government.

California 1879, Preamble

We, the People of the State of California, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom.

Colorado 1876, Preamble

We, the people of Colorado, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of Universe.

Connecticut 1818, Preamble

The People of Connecticut, acknowledging with gratitude the good Providence of God in permitting them to enjoy.

Delaware 1897, Preamble

Through Divine Goodness all men have, by nature, the rights of worshipping and serving their Creator according to the dictates of their consciences.

Florida 1885, Preamble

We, the people of the State of Florida, grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty, establish this Constitution.

Georgia 1777, Preamble

We, the people of Georgia, relying upon protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution.

Hawaii 1959, Preamble

We, the people of Hawaii, Grateful for Divine Guidance. Establish this Constitution.

Idaho 1889, Preamble

We, the people of the State of Idaho, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings.

Illinois 1870, Preamble

We, the people of the State of Illinois, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors.

Indiana 1851, Preamble

We, the People of the State of Indiana, grateful to Almighty God for the free exercise of the right to choose our form of government.

Iowa 1857, Preamble

We, the People of the State of Iowa, grateful to the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him for a continuation of these blessings establish this Constitution.

Kansas 1859, Preamble

We, the people of Kansas, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious privileges establish this Constitution.

Kentucky 1891, Preamble

We, the people of the Commonwealth are grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties.

Louisiana 1921, Preamble

We, the people of the State of Louisiana, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy.

Maine 1820, Preamble

We the People of Maine acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe in affording us an opportunity … And imploring His aid and direction.

Maryland 1776, Preamble

We, the people of the state of Maryland, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty.

Massachusetts 1780, Preamble

We…the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging with grateful hearts, the goodness of the Great Legislator of the Universe. In the course of His Providence, an opportunity and

devoutly imploring His direction.

Michigan 1908, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Michigan, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom establish this Constitution.

Minnesota 1857, Preamble

We, the people of the State of Minnesota, grateful to God for our civil and religious liberty, and desiring to perpetuate its blessings:

Mississippi 1890, Preamble

We, the people of Mississippi in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking His blessing on our work.

Missouri 1845, Preamble

We, the people of Missouri, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and grateful for His goodness. Establish this Constitution.

Montana 1889, Preamble

We, the people of Montana, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty establish this Constitution.

Nebraska 1875, Preamble

We, the people, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom. Establish this Constitution.

Nevada 1864, Preamble

We the people of the State of Nevada, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom establish this Constitution.

New Hampshire 1792, Part I. Art. I. Sec. V.

Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience.

New Jersey 1844, Preamble

We, the people of the State of New Jersey, grateful to Almighty God for civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors.

New Mexico 1911, Preamble

We, the People of New Mexico, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty.

New York 1846, Preamble

We, the people of the State of New York, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings.

North Carolina 1868, Preamble

We the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for our civil, political, and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those.

North Dakota 1889, Preamble

We, the people of North Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, do ordain…

Ohio 1852, Preamble

We the people of the state of Ohio, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and to promote our common…

Oklahoma 1907, Preamble

Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in order to secure and perpetuate the blessings of liberty … establishes this…

Oregon 1857, Bill of Rights, Article I. Section 2.

All men shall be secure in the Natural right, to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their consciences…

Pennsylvania 1776, Preamble

We, the people of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance.

Rhode Island 1842, Preamble

We the People of the State of Rhode Island 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.

South Carolina, 1778, Preamble

We, the people of the State of South Carolina grateful to God for our liberties, do ordain and establish this Constitution.

South Dakota 1889, Preamble

We, the people of South Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberties…

Tennessee 1796, Art. XI.III.

That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their conscience…

Texas 1845, Preamble

We the People of the Republic of Texas, acknowledging, with gratitude, the grace and beneficence of God.

Utah 1896, Preamble Grateful to Almighty God for life and liberty, we establish this Constitution.

Vermont 1777, Preamble

Whereas all government ought to enable the individuals who compose it to enjoy their natural rights, and other blessings which the Author of Existence has bestowed on man.

Virginia 1776, Bill of Rights, XVI

Religion, or the Duty which we owe our Creator can be directed only by Reason and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian Forbearance, Love and Charity towards each other.

Washington 1889, Preamble

We the People of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution.

West Virginia 1872, Preamble

Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people of West Virginia reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance upon God.

Wisconsin 1848, Preamble

We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, domestic tranquillity…

Wyoming 1890, Preamble

We, the people of the State of Wyoming, grateful to God for our civil, political, and religious liberties .. establish this Constitution.

The author of the original e-mail concludes:

After reviewing acknowledgments of God from all 50 state constitutions, one is faced with the prospect that maybe, the ACLU and the out-of-control federal courts are wrong! If you found this to be “Food for thought” copy and send to as many as you think will be enlightened as I hope you were.

“Those people who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants.”—William Penn

It is deeply heartening is to see each of our state constitutions acknowledging and thanking God. There is also an interesting variety in the way they go about doing this. About half the preambles, with slight variations, express “gratitude to God for our liberties.” The reference is of course to the Declaration of Independence and more broadly the philosophy of John Locke which says that God created man, God wants man to live a life proper to man, and therefore man has a natural right to the things that make that possible—the right to life, the right to liberty, the right to property. Several others preambles, in proper Protestant spirit, thank God for affording us the right to worship God according to our own consciences.

However, is God no more than a bestower of freedom? Isn’t God also the Creator of the Universe, the source of all life, and our guide? And here we begin to notice the differences among these statements. The Hawaii constitution makes no reference to freedom, but says, “We, the people of Hawaii, Grateful for Divine Guidance, Establish this Constitution.” Hawii recognizes God as the source of truth, not just as an entity that gives us an abstract freedom and rights.

Here are some others that speak of God as Creator and as Providential and moral guide:

• We, the people of Georgia, relying upon protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution.

• We, the people of Colorado, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of Universe….

• The People of Connecticut, acknowledging with gratitude the good Providence of God …

• We the People of Maine acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe in affording us an opportunity … And imploring His aid and direction….

• We, the people of Mississippi in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking His blessing on our work….

I find these preambles more meaningful that the somewhat rote-sounding expressions of gratitude to God for our “liberties.” Perhaps I have been soured by our modern politicians’ endless invocation of “freedom,” as though freedom, unqualified, unspecified freedom, were the only meaning of America. There is a sterility, a mechnical quality in this constant thanking of God for our freedom, that suggests a lack of anything concrete and specific in people’s experience of God or of freedom. In my view, those preambles are better that evince a deeper sense of God, of God not only as the source of freedom, but as the source of order and truth, without which there would be no freedom.

Also, the list, which quotes older constitutions, might leave out more recent, amended constitutions that don’t mention God. All the current state constitutions are available at this website, though it may be necessary to dig down through a few links to get to the preamble of each one. The 1939 New York constitution has God in its preamble, as does the current California constitution.

The 1978 Hawii Constitution leaves in the reference to divine guidance, but adds some other stuff on Hawaii’s cultural particularity that will be surprising:

We, the people of Hawaii, grateful for Divine Guidance, and mindful of our Hawaiian heritage and uniqueness as an island State, dedicate our efforts to fulfill the philosophy decreed by the Hawaii State motto, “Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono.”

We reserve the right to control our destiny, to nurture the integrity of our people and culture, and to preserve the quality of life that we desire.

We reaffirm our belief in a government of the people, by the people and for the people, and with an understanding and compassionate heart toward all the peoples of the earth, do hereby ordain and establish this constitution for the State of Hawaii.

From a traditionalist perspective, Hawaii’s preamble has it all: an appeal to divine guidance, and a statement of intent to “nurture the integrity of our people and culture.” I wonder if we could get language like that in the U.S. Constitution! But Hawaii, covering all bases, also has that New Age language about “an understanding and compassionate heart toward all the peoples of the earth.”

Looking at some of the other amended versions of constitutions that did not emphasis freedom in their earlier versions, Georgia’s current constitution adds a reference to free government, but also, in keeping with conservative views of our time, adds a reference to the family:

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.

Connecticut’s current Constitution leaves in the original phrase about the good providence of God. Here is the complete preamble, which the e-mail I quoted only presented in part:

The People of Connecticut acknowledging with gratitude, the good providence of God, in having permitted them to enjoy a free government; do, in order more effectually to define, secure, and perpetuate the liberties, rights and privileges which they have derived from their ancestors; hereby, after a careful consideration and revision, ordain and establish the following constitution and form of civil government.

Mississipi’s preamble also has not changed. Here is the complete wording, which was lacking above:

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.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at December 17, 2006 11:07 PM | Send