By Pastor Doug “Doc” Stauffer
Every generation tends to reinterpret history—often not to understand the past, but to justify the present. One of the most repeated claims today is that America was founded as a secular nation, with religion confined strictly to private life. Its proponents present this view as authoritative and academic, yet it is a historically false narrative. Here is one proof text.
In 1782, while the Revolutionary War was still underway, the United States Congress officially examined, approved, and recommended the printing of a Bible for the American people. Known as the Aitken Bible, it remains the only Bible in U.S. history to receive formal congressional endorsement.
The reason was simple yet revealing. Before independence, the colonies relied almost entirely on England for printed Bibles. When war severed that supply, Congress was warned of a national shortage. Rather than dismiss Scripture as a private matter, Congress recognized its necessity. They understood that the Bible was not merely a church book—it was foundational to morality, and morality was essential to liberty.
Congress appointed its own chaplains to examine Robert Aitken’s text of the King James Bible for accuracy. After their review, Congress passed a resolution recommending the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States and describing it as an “invaluable book.” That language was deliberate. Congress was not neutral toward Scripture—they appreciated it.
This single historical act exposes the weakness of the modern secular narrative. The founders did not believe faith threatened freedom; they believed it preserved freedom. They understood that a free people must be virtuous, and that virtue is shaped by biblical truth.
What makes this history especially compelling is that it is not merely an artifact of the distant past. On the opening day of the 2026 Florida legislative session in Tallahassee, an original Aitken Bible was brought into the Capitol, and a copy was presented to every elected official—including Cabinet members and Supreme Court justices. It was a quiet but powerful reminder that God’s Word, once commended by America’s first Congress, still speaks to those entrusted with governing today.
As America approaches her 250th anniversary, the Aitken Bible stands as a witness to a forgotten consensus: liberty does not thrive in a moral vacuum. The same Congress that fought for independence believed the Bible was worthy of public encouragement, national respect, and wide distribution.
When modern voices insist that faith has no place in America’s public life, history answers back—clearly, calmly, and conclusively. There was a time when Congress did not apologize for Scripture, but recommended it to all Americans.
And perhaps the most important question as America approaches her 250th year is this: if the Bible was once considered invaluable to the survival of the Republic, what has been the result of dismissing it as optional?
