The Constitution Target: I can explain the basic principles of the Constitution

The ConstitutionTarget: I can explain the basic principles of the

Constitution

Dennis the Constitutional Peasant

On March 4, 1789, the new Congress convened in the temp capital of NY


• In fact, at this time only 11 of the 13 states had ratified the Constitution



• Our population stood at 3,000,000 whites, and 50,000 free blacks



• Our population stood at 3,000,000 whites, and 50,000 free blacks

• The document that had been ratified by the states was now the supreme law governing the United States

The 6 Basic Principles of the Constitution

• Popular Sovereignty – the people are the only source of governmental power


• Popular Sovereignty – the people are the only source of governmental power– “We the People of the United States”


• Limited Government


• Limited Government– Gov’t must be conducted according to

the Constitution



the Constitution– Gov’t is not above the law



the Constitution– Gov’t is not above the law– Remember our cartoonfrom the other day?



the Constitution– Gov’t is not above the law

• The Constitution is a list of limitations and guarantees that the gov’t has regarding the people


• Separation of Powers


• Separation of Powers– Isaiah 33:22, "For the Lord is our

judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our King; he will save us."

– Judicial, legislative, executive


• Separation of Powers– Clearly written in Article I, Section 1

• All legislative powers vested in Congress

– Article II, Section 1• The executive power is vested in a

president

– Article III, Section 1• The judicial power is vested in one

Supreme Court and several inferior courts


• Checks and Balances


• Checks and Balances (pg. 58)

Judicial Branch Legislative Branch

Executive Branch

Override Veto, impeach president, approves treaties made by president

Veto

Approves justices, creates lower courts

Appoints supreme court, federal judgesLife terms, free

from executive pressure, can declare executive actions unconstitutional

unconstitutional


• Judicial Review


• Judicial Review– The power to declare something

unconstitutional


• Judicial Review– The power to declare something

unconstitutional– Marbury v. Madison took this unclear

part of the constitution and clarified and establish this power


• Federalism


• Federalism– The division of power between a

central government and several regional governments


• Federalism– The division of power between a

central government and several regional governments

– Remember the colonists’ complaint about a distant central government

Is the Constitution a Christian Document?

• Number of times they appear in the constitution:– God: 0– Creator: 0– Jesus: 0– Christian: 0

Ten Commandments in the Constitution

• First two commandments are contradicted by the 1st amendment– You should have no other gods before

me– No graven images

» Exodus 20: 2-3

Constitution Specifically singles out religion

• Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Constitution Specifically singles out religion

• Some argue that Article VI says that no "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States." – " If the authors of the Constitution did

indeed wish to create a document designed to favor Christianity, why would religious tests (common in the colonies at the time) be specifically forbidden? “

– Atheist Austin Cline

Founding Fathers and Christianity

• Most were Christian• Most had a very good knowledge

of the Bible• Not sure how many had a true

personal relationship with God• Most were deists

– Believed in a God who created the world and the laws the govern it, but He is not active in the world

Is it a Christian Document?

• No• It is actually quite secular, and

extremely secular for the time in whch it was written

Downer?

• No– While not an out right Christian

document, it is based in many Christian principles

Foundations of Democracy and Christian Principles (4th time you have seen this)• Fundamental worth of the individual

– God desires a personal relationship with everyone

• Equality of all persons- God is the creator of all humans, and values every

one

• Majority Rule with protection of the minority- God loves and protects even those who have not accepted him yet

• Necessity of compromise- Jesus…he was sent do die for our sins because we

cannot do it on our own

• Individual Freedom- Free will, free to make the choice to follow Christ

Our calling

• What is more important, is that the Constitution allows us to be Christians involved in our Government– We need to participate in electing and

being elected to our government to shape it in a Christian worldview

Our calling

• 2 Chronicles 7:14• If my people, who are called by my

name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land

Our calling

• The job of the government is to do for the people what they can't do for themselves. And the job of bringing people to faith belongs to the private citizens.

Our calling• "Let us look forward to the time

when we can take the flag of our country and nail it below the Cross, and there let it wave as it waved in the olden times, and let us gather around it an inscribed for our motto: "Liberty and Union, one and inseparable, now and forever," and exclaim, Christ first, our country next!" -- Andrew Johnson

The Constitution Target: I can explain the basic principles of the Constitution

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