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🧵🧵 It comes as no surprise, that the same people who want to decouple the word Judo from Christian when describing what America was founded on, don’t understand that this is an impossible feat. The Old Testament shaped the founders’ worldview by providing a narrative of liberty (Exodus), a structure for governance (covenant), a moral compass (Mosaic law), and a sense of divine purpose (providence). It offered a language and logic for resisting tyranny, framing rights, and balancing human frailty with hope—ideas baked into the Declaration, Constitution, and early American ethos. While later termed "Judeo-Christian," this influence was immediate and practical in 1776, grounding their vision in a biblical heritage that felt both timeless and urgent. At the heart of all of this is a message I have been trying to convey for months. Extremes will always exist in a country that reveres free speech and free expression above all else. But as you can see below, extremes are not what this country was built on. This country was built on the middle. And, if you remove the media, the middle has much more in common than not. Judeo-Christian" as a term postdates America’s founding, arising in the 19th century and peaking in the 20th. However, it encapsulates the biblical heritage—Jewish scriptures and Christian interpretation—that influenced the founders’ values and governance. This legacy, emphasizing law, liberty, and morality, distinguishes America’s roots from Islamic theology, which played no role in its formation. The phrase’s modern use reflects both historical reality and a later ideological construct. And that is why you see a push to severe the two. Because the ultimate desire is to severe America with its founders. For those that want to understand how engrained the Bible is in our countries founding, read the Founders Bible.

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The Old Testament profoundly shaped the worldview of America’s founders, influencing their ideas about governance, morality, liberty, and human nature. While they were a diverse group—spanning devout Christians to Deists—the Hebrew Bible (what Christians call the Old Testament) provided a shared framework that informed their thinking, often filtered through their Christian lens.

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1. Covenant and Self-Government Old Testament Influence: The concept of a covenant—a mutual pact between God and His people—runs through the Old Testament (e.g., Genesis 17 with Abraham, Exodus 19-24 at Sinai). It’s a voluntary agreement with obligations, suggesting people can govern themselves under divine authority. Founders’ Worldview: This idea resonated deeply with the Puritans, whose Mayflower Compact (1620) echoed a covenantal model—pledging to form a "civil body politic" under God. By the founding era, this evolved into a secularized form: the Constitution as a covenant among the people. John Adams called the Constitution a "social compact," reflecting the Old Testament notion of collective responsibility. Benjamin Franklin’s 1787 Constitutional Convention speech urged unity, citing Psalm 127:1 ("Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain"), is an example of this covenant tying governance to divine order.

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2. Law and Justice Old Testament Influence: The Mosaic Law, especially the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20), provided a moral and legal foundation. It emphasized justice, accountability, and universal ethical standards—ideas like "Thou shalt not steal" or "Thou shalt not bear false witness." Founders’ Worldview: They saw law as rooted in eternal principles, not just human whim. William Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England (1765), a legal Bible for the founders, argued that human laws must align with "the law of nature and nature’s God"—a phrase echoing Deuteronomy 4:6-8 and picked up in the Declaration of Independence. James Madison, in Federalist No. 51, wrote of human nature’s flaws ("If men were angels, no government would be necessary"), mirroring Old Testament realism about sin (e.g., Genesis 6:5, "the wickedness of man was great").

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Liberty and Resistance to Tyranny Old Testament Influence: The Exodus narrative—Israel’s liberation from Pharaoh (Exodus 1-15)—is a dramatic tale of freedom from oppression, with God siding with the oppressed. It’s a recurring theme of divine support for resistance against unjust rule. Founders’ Worldview: This story fueled Revolutionary rhetoric. The founders saw Britain as a modern Pharaoh, taxing and ruling without consent. Pamphleteers and preachers, like Samuel Langdon in a 1775 sermon, likened George III to Pharaoh and the colonies to Israel escaping bondage. Thomas Jefferson and Franklin proposed a Great Seal in 1776 showing Moses parting the Red Sea, with the motto "Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God"—a direct Old Testament link to liberty.

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4. Human Nature and Moral Order Old Testament Influence: The Old Testament portrays humans as flawed yet capable of righteousness—fallen after Eden (Genesis 3) but accountable to God’s standards (e.g., Micah 6:8, "do justice, love mercy, walk humbly"). Founders’ Worldview: This duality shaped their view of government. They distrusted unchecked power (reflecting Genesis’ fall) but believed in moral self-governance. Alexander Hamilton in Federalist No. 1 warned of "the passions and prejudices" of men, while John Adams cited Proverbs 29:2 ("When the righteous rule, the people rejoice") to stress virtuous leadership. George Washington’s Farewell Address (1796) tied national success to "religion and morality," echoing Old Testament calls for righteousness in society (e.g., Deuteronomy 28).

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5. Providence and National Destiny Old Testament Influence: The idea of a chosen people under God’s guidance—Israel’s journey to the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 1:8)—suggested divine involvement in human affairs. Founders’ Worldview: Many saw America as a new Israel, blessed with purpose if faithful to God. This wasn’t literal for Deists like Jefferson, but the language persisted. The Great Awakening (1730s-1740s) reinforced this, with preachers like Jonathan Edwards citing Isaiah 60:1 ("Arise, shine, for your light has come") to frame America’s mission. Ezra Stiles’ 1783 sermon, "The United States Elevated to Glory and Honor," quoted Deuteronomy 26:19 to cast America as a nation exalted by God’s favor, a direct Old Testament parallel.

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6. Property and Rights Old Testament Influence: Leviticus 25 (e.g., the Jubilee) and Exodus 22:25-27 protect property and economic fairness, tying rights to divine order rather than royal decree. Founders’ Worldview: The Declaration’s "life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness" reflects this sanctity of individual rights. John Locke, a key influence, grounded property rights in Genesis 1:28 (dominion over the earth), which the founders absorbed. Jefferson’s Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1786) echoes Old Testament individualism—each person’s direct accountability to God, not a king or church.

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7. Education and Virtue Old Testament Influence: Deuteronomy 6:7 commands teaching God’s laws to children, linking knowledge with moral character. Founders’ Worldview: They saw an educated, virtuous citizenry as essential for a republic. Thomas Jefferson pushed public education, citing biblical literacy as a model. Early colleges like Harvard (1636) trained ministers in Hebrew and the Old Testament. Noah Webster, in his 1787 essay on education, quoted Proverbs 22:6 ("Train up a child in the way he should go") to argue for moral instruction.

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Most founders read the Old Testament through Christianity, seeing it fulfilled in the New Testament. Yet its standalone impact—law, liberty, covenant—was undeniable, even for Deists like Franklin who admired its wisdom without dogma. Jews were few in colonial America, so this influence came via Christian appropriation of Hebrew scriptures, not direct Jewish input. Not all founders were orthodox—Jefferson edited the Bible to remove miracles—but even he revered the Old Testament’s moral teachings, calling them "the most sublime" in history.