America has religious roots that should be celebrated during 250th | Opinion
As we approach the 250th anniversary of the United States, our communities are entering a historic season of reflection.
Puyallup will host “Voices of Valor,” a program exploring the diverse stories of those who built and shaped our early nation. Simultaneously, across the Cascades in Walla Walla, citizens will gather to honor that region’s legacy as the “Cradle of the Northwest.”
From the shores of Puget Sound to the rolling hills of the Palouse, I encourage all Washingtonians to seek out and participate in their local Semiquincentennial events. It is vital that we honor every voice that cried out for liberty. However, as we prepare for this historic milestone, we must also ensure that we do not lose sight of the most influential “voice” of all: the deep, Christian conviction that served as the foundational framework of the American experiment.
History is often treated like a buffet where we can pick and choose the parts that suit modern sensibilities. But you cannot honestly tell the story of 1776 without acknowledging that the Founders’ belief in human rights was rooted in a theological reality.
When the First Continental Congress gathered in 1774, their very first act wasn’t a political debate. It was a three-hour session of prayer. They recognized then, as we must now, that rights are not a gift from the government; they are, as the Declaration of Independence states, an endowment from our “Creator.”
By signing the Declaration of Independence, the founders essentially bound themselves by a blood oath, explicitly pledging their lives, fortunes and sacred honor in defiance of a king. If our republic demanded that same ultimate sacrifice today, how many of us would truly be willing to sign our names? Such a choice demands an extraordinary, almost terrifying level of faith. More than just belief in a political cause, it would require faith in the providence of God to sustain a nation built on liberty.
When people gather in Walla Walla, they stand near the ground where missionaries like Marcus Whitman first arrived in 1836. Driven by a Christian mission, these pioneers sought to build a society rooted in biblical literacy and moral virtue decades before Washington achieved statehood.
Our state’s founders understood this legacy perfectly. When they assembled in 1889 to draft the Washington State Constitution, they didn’t start with a secular list of grievances. Instead, they wrote a preamble that remains the bedrock of our law today: “We, the people of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this constitution.”
Like John Adams once warned, our system of self-government was made only for a “moral and religious people.” Without that spiritual foundation, the house of liberty cannot stand.
While the Washington State Legislature is currently in its interim period, the work of defending these foundational principles never takes a vacation. The period between legislative sessions is a time for statewide preparation. I am concerned that as we hold our state’s official 250th-anniversary celebrations, there is a risk of sanitizing our history to fit modern trends. A celebration that ignores the role of the pulpit and the faith of our pioneers is not an honest celebration; it is a revisionist one.
That is why I plan to meet with faith leaders and constituents from across the state to ensure that our religious heritage remains at the center of the conversation.
As we move toward the 2027 legislative session, I am working on a plan to ensure the state’s America 250 K-12 curriculum accurately reflects the faith that made freedom possible. The connection between our history and our current laws demand our statutes reflect the reality that religious liberty is our “first freedom” for a reason.
The most important job for me during this period of reflection is to be a watchman for these values. I will be pre-filing legislation this December to ensure our state’s Semiquincentennial Committee officially recognizes the Christian foundations of our republic. We owe it to those who stood at the beginning of these 250 years to tell their story truthfully.
The 250th anniversary is more than a birthday party for a country; it is a renewal of a covenant. Let us attend our local events, celebrate the diverse voices of our past, and never forget the faith that gave those voices the courage to speak in the first place.
Sen. Jim McCune, who represents the 2nd Legislative District, serves on the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee.