“The foundation of our society and
our government rest so much on
the teachings of the Bible that it
would be difficult to support them if
faith in these teachings would cease to
be practically universal in our country”
CALVIN COOLIDGE
Thirtieth President of the United States
RELIGIOUS IMAGERY IN THE CAPITOL
The U.S. Capitol Building is filled with religious imagery and inscriptions. As you walk up the steps of the Capitol, recall that on September 12, 2001, two hundred members of Congress gathered on these steps to sing "God Bless America." In a similar scene in June 2002, members of the House of Representatives gathered here to recite the Pledge of Allegiance after the Ninth Circuit Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to describe our nation as "under God," which, of course, was exactly the way Washington described our nation in July 1776 and Lincoln at Gettysburg in 1863.
Today, the House and Senate both open their daily sessions with the Pledge of Allegiance. Representative Sonny Montgomery (a Democrat from Mississippi) recited the first Pledge of Allegiance on the House floor on September 13, 1988. Former Speaker of the House Jim Wright decided to make the Pledge a daily ritual, and in 1995, the House rules were amended to make it permanent. The Senate has never officially made the Pledge a permanent feature, but it has recited it before each session since June 24, 1999.
Upon entering the Rotunda, you will be immediately struck by the religious imagery. Eight different historical paintings are on display. Pay particular attention to a few. First, the painting The Landing of Columbus depicts his arrival on the shores of America. Columbus later said he was convinced to sail because "it was the Lord who put it into my mind" and that "the Gospel must still be preached to so many lands."
Second, on the south side of the Rotunda, between statues of Martin Luther King, Jr., and President Dwight Eisenhower, is a painting titled The Embarkation of the Pilgrims, by Robert W. Weir, from 1843. This depicts the deck of the ship Speedwell as it departed for the New World from Delft Haven, Holland, on July 22, 1620. You will see that the Pilgrims are observing a day of prayer and fasting, led by William Brewster, who is holding a Bible, and John Robertson, a pastor. The rainbow at the left side of the painting symbolizes hope and divine protection.
Third, the painting The Discovery of the Mississippi may be found directly next to The Embarkation of the Pilgrims. This painting shows Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto's encounter with the Native Americans. DeSoto was the first European to set foot in what is now Mississippi. On the right side of the painting, a monk prays as a crucifix is planted into the ground. DeSoto's burial is also depicted in the frieze that goes around the Rotunda. This is identifiable by a priest making the sign of a cross over DeSoto's body, covered by a sheet. Finally, the painting The Baptism of Pocahontas demonstrates the baptism of one of the first converts in the Virginia colony. Directly overhead is The Apotheosis of Washington, which depicts our first president's ascent into heaven. The thirteen maidens surrounding him symbolize the original thirteen states.
At the ground level of the Rotunda, a glass case can be found that holds a gold replica of the Magna Carta. This was a gift from the British government in 1976. Many of the first travelers to what would become the colonies came with a copy of this document in hand. It was later used to justify the colonialists' protests against the Stamp Act and other violations of their rights. In fact, the seal adopted by Massachusetts on the eve of the revolution featured a militiaman with a sword in one hand and a copy of the Magna Carta in the other.
Various inscriptions around the Capitol demonstrate the reliance of our country on God and faith. In the Cox Corridor in the House wing of the Capitol, a line from "America the Beautiful" is carved into the wall: "America! God shed His grace on thee, and crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea!"
Also in the House chamber is the inscription "In God We Trust." At the east entrance to the Senate chamber, the words Annuit Coeptis are inscribed, Latin for "God has favored our undertakings." The words "In God We Trust" are also written over the southern entrance. "What hath God Wrought!" the first message sent over the telegraph, is inscribed on the Samuel F. B. Morse Plaque found outside of the old Supreme Court Chamber in the Capitol.
In the House chamber, above the central Gallery door, stands a marble relief of Moses, the greatest of twenty-three noted law-givers (and the only one full-faced). Statues of many early leaders are displayed throughout the Capitol Building. Most of these leaders were Christians, and many were ministers, including George Washington, James Garfield, Samuel Adams, Reverend Peter Muhlenberg, Reverend Roger Williams, Reverend Marcus Whitman, Daniel Webster, Lew Wallace, Reverend Jason Lee, John Winthrop, Reverend Jonathan Trumbull, Roger Sherman, and Francis Willard.
THE CAPITOL CHAPEL
Unfortunately, the Capitol Building Chapel is off limits to all but members of Congress and their guests. However, its history is instructive. The chapel was built after a particularly powerful display of God's role in American public life.
Throughout American history, presidents have called for national days of prayer to pay tribute and give thanks. In 1952, Congress issued a joint resolution calling for a prayer service on the steps of the Capitol. The service was conducted by the Reverend Billy Graham. Thousands of people came to the service in the pouring February rain. After this display, Congress called for the construction of a room " with facilities for prayer and meditation, for use of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives."
Found in the Capitol's Chapel is a stained-glass window depicting George Washington in prayer, under the inscription "This Nation Under God." Furthermore, a prayer is inscribed in the window. It says, "Preserve me, God, for in Thee do I put my trust."
CHURCH SERVICES IN THE CAPITOL
As mentioned earlier in chapter 3 regarding the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the United States Capitol held church services well before the construction of the chapel in the 1950s. A t the time of the building's construction, there were no churches in the District of Columbia to serve the needs of members of Congress and the president. Therefore, such services were held in the Capitol.
Thomas Jefferson attended these services throughout his terms as vice president and president, which were often conducted by his friend Reverend John Leland. Ironically Jefferson attended one such service just two days after he wrote his famous response to the Danbury Baptists Association of Connecticut in which he referred to a "wall of separation" between church and state. President Jefferson clearly understood that his "wall of separation" would allow his attending church services in the U. S. Capitol without even the appearance of the state either establishing a national church or imposing a religious belief system on the people.
James Madison, who is widely considered to be the author of the Religion Clauses of the First Amendment, also attended these church services in the Capitol. In fact, while Congress was debating the language of the First Amendment, they were also working to pass legislation to hire and pay for official House and Senate chaplains. Accordingly, Madison clearly saw no conflict between favoring religious observances in public spaces and opposing an official national religion.
Ray R Barmore
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