The Foundation of Freedom

The late Wayne Jackson once wrote, “Every man’s heart throbs with the desire for freedom. It appears to be an intrinsic need” (191).

A 1943 essay by C. S. Lewis implied a proposition concerning freedom that will be affirmed and defended in this article—the first article in a series of six, as God permits, (cf. 1 Corinthians 16:7; Hebrews 6:3). The proposition did not originate with Lewis or any mere man. Its origin rests in the ultimate ground for existence (cf. Hebrews 3:4).

In his aforementioned essay titled “The Poison of Subjectivism,” Lewis stated, “The very idea of freedom presupposes some objective [absolute] moral law which overarches rulers and ruled alike” (81, emp. added). This is a marvelous statement. The statement implies this thesis: GOD is the foundation of freedom.

The Founders of the American Republic affirmed and defended this proposition, mutually pledging their     “Lives . . . Fortunes . . . sacred Honor.” The proof of the proposition is demonstrated from the Holy Scriptures. Consideration of the biblical proof of this thesis will be addressed in a future article. Set forth in this present article is what we believe to be the proof of the proposition from an extrabiblical source.

The Declaration of Independence demonstrates the truth that God is the foundation of freedom. Authored primarily by thirty-three year old Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration is a magnificent masterpiece that stands out among the world’s freedom charters. Adopted by the 1776 Continental Congress 250 years ago this year (2026), it declares the certain existence of “the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God.” Furthermore, it acknowledges “self-evident” truths which include “all men are created equal . . .” (emp. added). Thus, it is the case, regarding the origin of humanity, that we are not here because of some accidental “chemical or electrical events in a cortex which is itself the bye-product of a blind evolutionary process” (Lewis 72). Additionally, the Declaration affirms the truth that all are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,” which includes “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. . . .”

Lewis argued that if there is no absolute, objective moral law, all that remains is “subjectivism about values [which] is eternally incompatible with democracy. . . . [I]f there is no Law of Nature, the ethos of any society is the creation [invention] of its citizens . . . [and] unless we return to . . . belief in objective [absolute] values, we perish” (81). Henry van Dyke summed it up well when he stated, “. . . [W]e need the help of [true] religion, by which alone the foundations of the state are laid in righteousness, and democracy is saved from its own suicidal tendencies” (186).

Through an argument called the “Founder’s syllogism” the conclusion that God is the foundation of freedom is implied (cf. Dreisbach 52, 64). The argument is as follows: 1) Virtue and morality are essential for free government. 2) God is essential for virtue and morality. 3) Therefore, God is essential for free government. In his Farewell Address, George Washington explicitly identified religion and morality as the “firmest props,” “indispensable supports,” and “the foundation of the fabric” of “every species of free government” (emp. added).

Dreisbach cites a wonderful observation of Abraham Baldwin, a signer of the U. S. Constitution, who said, “[A] free government . . . can only be happy when the public principles and opinions are properly directed, and their manners regulated. This is an influence beyond the reach of laws and punishments, and can be claimed only by religion [God] and education. It should therefore be among the first objects of those who wish well to the national prosperity to encourage and support the principles of religion [God] and morality” (84-85).

The essentiality of God as the foundation of freedom involves “recognizing God as the ultimate force for public order . . .” (Walker 333). In this 2024 book, Walker makes the case for natural law as the guiding principle in free government. He calls this “Civic Theism,” and it is primarily set forth in the context of a Classical Christian apologetic.

One of the forerunners to Walker’s case is Stephen Charnock who, in his 17th century work The Existence and Attributes of God, wrote, “No people [were] so untamed where absolute perfect atheism had gained a footing” (30).Walker affirms, “God has inscribed evidence of himself in creation, in every human’s heart, and every human’s conscience (Psalm 19: Eccl. 3:11; Rom. 1:18-32; 2:14-16), the natural law assumes that even despite willful self-deception, every human being possesses an awareness of God’s existence. . . . No regime can withstand the constant assault, active negation, and eventual extinction of truth from its boundaries. This I find to be true. No person or society practices pure atheism or else individuals and societies would cease to exist. Pure atheism eviscerates moral accountability and flowers into genocidal totalitarianism or anarchial nihilism” (333-34, emp. added).

Whittaker Chambers has been called the most important 20th century defector from communism and in his memoir, Witness, he tells the story. It had a great influence on President Ronald Reagan through passages such as the following: “God alone is the inciter and guarantor of freedom. He is the only guarantor. . . . Religion [God] and freedom are indivisible. . . . There has never been a society or nation without God. But history is cluttered with the wreckage of nations that became indifferent to God, and died” (16-17).

The foregoing anchors why we believe it to be the case that through the Declaration of Independence we have extrabiblical evidence that God is the foundation of freedom. And, remarkably, such is confirmed by the primary author of the Declaration when he (Jefferson) asked: “. . . [C]an the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God?” (237).

Giving deep thought to this should cause every accountable citizen of our nation to realize the truth of the observation of syndicated columnist Cal Thomas who wrote in his column (7 February 2019): “When the story of America is written in the past tense, its collapse will have been caused by our indifference to God, and all the horrors that historically and inevitably follow it.”

Charles C. Pugh III
Executive Director

 Works Cited:

 Chambers, Whittaker. Witness. 1952. Washington, D. C.: Regnery, © 2002.

 Charnock, Stephen. The Existence and Attributes of God. 1853. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000.

 Dreisbach, Daniel. Biblical Roots of the American Order. Parkersburg: Warren Apologetics, 2022.

 Jackson, Wayne. “The Freedom We Have In Christ.” The Balance of Truth and Freedom. Ed. Don Ruhl. Ashland: Pilot, 1987.

 Jefferson, Thomas. Notes on the State of Virginia. Query XVIII  1781-82.

Lewis, C. S. Christian Reflections. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1967.

Van Dyke, Henry. Six Days of the Week. New York: Scribner’s, 1924.

Walker, Andrew T. Faithful Reason. Brentwood: B& H, 2024.