Hobby Lobby’s “In God We Trust” ad is still untrustworthy

John Adams

“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” – John Adams

VERDICT: Deliberately Altered

Hobby Lobby alters Adams’ original quote, from a letter written on October 11, 1798, to the officers of Massachusetts militia:

“But should the people of America once become capable of that deep simulation towards one another, and towards foreign nations, which assumes the language of justice and moderation, while it is practising iniquity and extravagance, and displays in the most captivating manner the charming pictures of candour, frankness, and sincerity, while it is rioting in rapine and insolence, this country will be the most miserable habitation in the world. Because we have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge and licentiousness would break the strongest cords of our Constitution, as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” – John Adams

Hobby Lobby left out an entire sentence of Adams’ words without notifying the reader. It is an important sentence. Adams uses “moral” and “religious” as synonyms and the missing sentence goes to that point. Adams does not mention ungodliness or blasphemy or sin; he focuses on moral issues, “avarice, ambition, revenge,” etc. Adams may have equated religion and morality, but thought that neither was divine or supernatural. Writing to Jefferson on December 12, 1816, he mentioned that he had “devoted” himself to theological study for “the last year or two” and listed more than 20 volumes of religious writing and history he read:

“Romances all! I have learned nothing of importance to me, for they have made no change in my moral or religious creed, which has, for fifty or sixty years, been contained in four short words, ‘Be just and good.’ In this result they all agree with me.”

The conclusion Adams drew from his study of religious texts was simple: “universal toleration.” Something that can only be achieved when we have a government that is truly secular, that is truly free from religion.

Incidentally, a full reading of both the Militia’s and Adams’s letters makes it clear that they were discussing fidelity to their country and government, not religion.

Source: Letter from John Adams to the Officers of the First Brigade of the Third Division of the Militia of Massachusetts (Oct. 11, 1798). A transcription of the original document. Other sources translate the phrase “Avarice, ambition, revenge, and licentiousness,” as “Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry.” The former seems more likely. We were unable to locate an image of the original letter. An image of Adams’ letter to Jefferson.  A transcription of the militia’s response.