Colorado State Winner

Dara Dillon
Ordway, CO
Pioneer Christian School
Private (Religious)
10th Grade

Within America today, an American is defined by either the amount of money he has or by his social status within the community. In present day America, people form their morals according to what a scandalous magazine tells them. On the contrary, the founding fathers established a nation completely different from what it has grown to be. In colonial day America, people founded themselves upon God and His Word.

The framers were not concerned with their social status but their spiritual status. They wanted to form a nation where God could be worshiped without the oppressions the world offers. By reading the Bible, they began to establish a nation according to what God commanded. For instance, the idea of a three branch government came from Jeremiah, an Old Testament prophet. In the New Testament, the apostles exemplified not to be suppressed by government, but to respectfully oppose the ungodly authority.

Because the framers believed so strongly in freedom of religion, they established separation of church and state, but not in terms of what today's society interprets it to be. Instead, they wanted to protect the value of the church from state corruption. They did not want the state to control how they worshiped God; they wanted to be able to have a close relationship with God and not be forced to believe something that went against their will.

Since the framers were constantly in God's Word, their character and ideas paralleled God's desires for a nation. Therefore, a nation is not merely formed upon who has control, but it is formed by the character and ideas of the person or people in control. If the people are not raised by a family who teaches sound moral qualities, then they will not practice those qualities as a leader. Consequently, a nation must also have a strong family atmosphere so that the people are raised to have good character.

Along with families with good character, a nation must also have individualism. Although too much individualism can cause separation among people or groups, too little individualism can cause people to become disloyal to their country. Thus, without the right amount of individualism, people will not be able to express their ideas and opinions about government. The framers realized this and provided a Constitutional Republic in which all people can be actively involved through the representatives they elect. Then the Constitution limits the power of the elected official so that one man does not take all of the power.

Within this type of government, people are free and are expected to support themselves as well as preserve the nation. People are able to institute a business upon their own initiative. This helps to keep people self-sufficient and less dependent upon the government for an income.

According to the men who founded a nation where all people could have freedom based on Judeo-Christian values, an American is not classified by his social status, but by his spiritual status and active knowledge of God's intentions for government. An American should support himself and preserve his country and its Constitution. Finally, to be a true American, one must fulfill the ethics and principles this nation was founded upon.