Introduction
The United States of America is the only nation that has not experienced a revolution every twenty to
thirty years on average. America's national stability has been unparalleled to that of any other nation.
We refer to this as "American exceptionalism". The idea of "American exceptionalism" refers to our
remarkable and internationally unmatched record of stability. The author of the book Democracy in
America, Alexi de Tocqueville, introduced us to such a phrase. Barton shared that Alexi once said, “The
position of the American’s is quite exceptional, and it may be believed that no democratic people will
ever be placed in a similar one” (Barton, 2018). How did this become the case in America? Is this how
things stand now?
The Constitution Convention in 1787
According to Barton, there were a few challenges the 1787 Constitutional Convention had to
overcome. At the time, the delegates from the thirteen states each had their own plans and
recommendations for how to make them better. Everyone was unwilling to make concessions or
cooperate with others because they each had their own ideas. People were ready to depart after four or
five weeks because they were tired of the arguments and fighting. Until Ben Franklin got up and did
something about it. He ultimately delivered a speech that significantly altered the convention's
atmosphere. During the early days of Congress, they used to pray every day, but since the 1787
Constitutional Convention, they have not done so. Following Franklin's address to the delegates, they
took a three-day break to visit Reverend William Rogers Church, where they once again discovered
God's guidance, which enabled them to begin reaching consensus. Because we have a separate set of
ideas, America stands out as a different kind of country. Most of the concepts were taken directly from
God and the Bible. Before each session, the delegates would always sit and ask God for direction. Barton
shared that Alexander Hamilton said, "If you have any fear of God at all, it's impossible for you not to
see what God just did in writing this constitution" (Barton,2018).
Scriptural References
Barton references a number of biblical scriptures that are relevant to the articles in the
Constitution. The provision dealing with capital penalty is included in Deuteronomy 715 of the
Constitution's Article 3. This approach is both effective and ineffective in the present day. For example,
while most state executions are no longer permitted in state prisons, there are still a few locations in the
United States where executions are permitted. Excess 821 addresses Article 4 of the Constitution, which
states that when elections are held, we have the opportunity to elect local, county, state, and national
officials. This is both effective and ineffective between the past and the present. For example, voting in
1787 differed greatly from voting today in terms of which races and genders were eligible to vote.
Previously, only white men had the right to vote, but now people of all races and genders can vote.
Political Officials
Barton talked on the thou shall not kill, which is the sixth commandment. The Bible lists three
instances in which taking a life is permitted. In the event that someone kills an innocent person and is
executed, it permits you to take a life in self-defense, and a life in combat are all allowed in God's eyes.
The killing of innocent people is something that God detests. Barton gave an illustration of the
distinctions between abortion and the death penalty. Before a life is fully grown, abortion results in the
shedding of medical blood. The death penalty results in the demise of guilty blood. My choice for a court
case to represent the sixth commandment is Roe v. Wade. With the US Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v.
Wade ruling, abortion became legal nationwide. Roe V. Wade was overturned in 2022, thereby ending
safe abortions for women. This has to do with God's rule, "thou shalt not kill," since he considers
abortion to be the medical equivalent of taking the life of childbirth.
Helping The Poor
Through God’s words he instructs us to look out for and help those in poverty. In Proverbs 14:31
it says, “Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy
honors God” (New International Version Bible, 2024, Proverbs. 14:31). For example, my community has
a Facebook group called "The Hearts of Giving" to assist those in poverty. People who are in need of
clothes, food, hygiene goods, items for children, and so on would post in this group. The volunteers
would then offer the products or locate someone who could give them away for free to those in need
who had requested them. In my opinion, no better government support will benefit enough low-income
residents in the community. Government-funded assistance recipients often meet the qualifying
requirements, but those who don’t may not obtain the necessary support. The government does not
finance community-owned groups; instead, people of the community aid those in need by following
God's word and behaving with kindness of heart.
References
The constitution.Barton, D. (Director). (2018, Feb 9).[Video/DVD] Retrieved
from https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/582519/pages/watch-the-constitution-part-
1?module_item_id=61914054
New International Version. (2024). Proverbs. Retrieved
from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?
search=proverbs+14%3A31&version=NIV
Planned Parenthood. (2022). Roe v. wade overturned: How the supreme court let
politicians outlaw abortion. Retrieved
from https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/issues/abortion/roe-v-wade
