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The Myth of Christian America  /  MCA (14 of 14): How God Was Written Out of the US Constitution  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 4
Massachusetts treated public support of Protestant teachers as a public good, comparing it to public education (“everyone benefits”); what assumptions about human nature, morality, and social order are embedded in that model, and which of those assumptions do you think Bercot believes are compatible—or incompatible—with the kingdom of God?
Another way to ask: When Massachusetts supported Protestant teachers like it supports schools, what does that say about what they believed people need to be moral and keep society stable, and which of those ideas does Bercot think fit (or don’t fit) with God’s kingdom?

Direct Answer The Massachusetts model assumes society needs religion and moral instruction to preserve civil order, and that government may promote that for the common good; Bercot seems to agree it can benefit society, but he also insists it cannot create God’s kingdom and can corrupt the church when church and state are joined.

Support from Transcript:

  • Massachusetts says “the happiness of a people and the good order… of civil government essentially depend upon piety, religion, and morality.”
  • It authorizes towns to fund “public worship of God” and support “public Protestant teachers,” even requiring provision if not made voluntarily.
  • Bercot compares this to public education today: even childless citizens pay because “everybody in society benefits” from an educated population.
  • He notes Massachusetts protected “every denomination of Christians” equally, implying the state viewed Protestant Christianity as a stabilizing moral force.
  • Yet later Bercot teaches “there’s no such thing as a Christian government,” and “the jointer of church and state… brought about… horrible corruption into the church.”
  • He still says “every earthly government should acknowledge” God, so public acknowledgment is “a good thing,” but not the same as building the kingdom.
Discussion Follow-ups How can Christians affirm that moral instruction benefits society without assuming the state can produce genuine Christian discipleship?

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