Honor counted to founding patriots like Adams, Jefferson, Washington, and then later, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt. Character counted...virtue came first.
These giants knew that their actions of character mattered far more to the nation than mere temporary political positions. The ideas they fought for in 1776 and debated in 1787 were paramount. And that is what American history is all about--ideas.
Character was tied to liberty; and liberty to property. All three were needed for success, but character was the prerequisite because it put the law behind property agreements, and it set responsibility right next to liberty.
And the surest way to ensure the presence of good character was to keep God at the center of one's life, community, and ultimately, nation.
"Separation of church and state" meant freedom to worship, not freedom from worship. It went back to the link between liberty and responsibility, and no one could be taken seriously who was not responsible to God. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." They believed those words.
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