One purpose of the present language [on Article VI, Clause 3 on no religious tests] is to avoid a national church like the Church of England. All the states are opposed to a national church but not to a public recognition that this is a Christian nation. No denomination of the Christian Faith must rule over others, but our common Trinitarian Christianity must be publicly proclaimed throughout all the world. In the name of the true God, we must seek his blessings by professing in our official documents his claim over us.

Honorable fathers and brethren of this august body, I thank you for the privilege of speaking to you here today on this hot July afternoon in Philadelphia. Let me state my point immediately at the very beginning. This union of states you are seeking to create as a nation must be recognized in this Constitution as a Christian nation.  I submit this speech in order to prevent you from choosing any other option, and in order to save this nation from self-destruction in years to come, long after each of you are gone.
I plead with this body to delete the portion of the words in Article VI, Clause 3, which says that “no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.” The majority of the states do already require a religious test for officeholders to the Trinitarian God of the Bible. The new Constitution should replicate the standards reflected in the state constitutions.  Thus, please realize that this new article is contrary to the practice of the states.
And yes, one purpose of the present language is to avoid a national church like the Church of England. All the states are opposed to a national church but not to a public recognition that this is a Christian nation. No denomination of the Christian Faith must rule over others, but our common Trinitarian Christianity must be publicly proclaimed throughout all the world. In the name of the true God, we must seek his blessings by professing in our official documents his claim over us.
Article VI.3 will be interpreted as a clause to ensure neutrality, which we all should know is impossible. Protestant pluralism has worked well for us among the states thus far, but it must be codified in our national document.  This is a Christian nation as is evident in the individual states and as documented in their constitutions. This is further proved to be true by the multitude of churches that cover the landscape of our nation. Being Christian men, or those who have the highest regard for the Bible, the Word of God, I urge you to adopt a religious test that declares every officer in the United States government must take an oath of allegiance to the Trinitarian God of the Bible before he takes office.

If you follow any other pathway, you will guarantee the self-destruction of this nation in years to come. This nation will become a collaboration of religions of which all of them are considered equal.  Every religion has its own law system and every religion wishes to see its laws instituted in society as a whole. This can only lead to civil strife and chaos. Even those who claim no religion profess a religion.  They are not neutral.  Jesus said that we are either for him or against him. Such people may be the greatest threat of all to the Christian Faith in this country.
This concept is based upon the paradigm of the national government in Old Testament Israel. In the Old Testament, Israel worshiped the one true God and him alone.  This pleased God.  Foreigners and aliens (legally admitted) were welcome to live in Israel and to participate in its wealth, but they could not build public houses of worship to their false gods.  Likewise, only Christian churches should cover the landscape of this county.
Both foreigners and aliens in Israel had the privilege of being protected in both their persons and property by the Law of God, just as any citizen of Israel. They were to be treated with kindness and love, since Israel itself was once an alien in a foreign land.  Even atheists would be allowed to enjoy the blessings of this new nation.  However, temples to false idols were not allowed under the Old Covenant.
Likewise, America should welcome others to enjoy the blessings that God may give to this land, but, like Israel of old, these men of other religions must not participate in the legislation or administration of the law of this Christian nation. With many gods publicly worshiped in the land, it will become a polytheistic nation which will not long endure. It will eventually become nothing but religious and political tribes fighting against each other for power to rule according to its respective religious beliefs.
This restriction would apply to Islam, Judaism, and all eastern religions. Consider how the United States, if blessed by the Triune God, will become a magnet to draw others from all other religions to see us as “shining city upon a hill” and how these unbelievers will be attracted to the God who has blessed us so much.  It will be a great means of evangelism.  Even jealousy can be a motive for conversion of unbelievers to Christ.  The Apostle Paul was passionate about this in regard to the Israelites in Romans 14:11 where he says “that I may move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them.”
I fear the day when God’s law does not reign in the land. It is either God’s law or chaos.  If the Ten Commandments are not a standard for society as well as the church, then this land will turn into something equal to Sodom and Gomorrah, where sexual perversion will be sanctioned—everything from sodomite marriage, men trying to become women, and even adults seeking to change the sex of their own children.  Abortion will be legalized as the right of a mother to kill her own child.
I know this is difficult to believe, and I am no prophet, but any Christian man with the knowledge of the nature of man can only conclude that the sins I have listed will become normalized and often legalized in this nation.
I realize that ink on paper does not guarantee the blessing of the Lord. I might say that neither does the ink on the Bible itself guarantee the blessing of God.  All Christians know that without the power of the Holy Spirit there will be no blessing on any nation.  However, neither does this fact deny the necessity of recognizing publicly that we will serve the only true and living God.  Yes, unless the church remains the salt of the earth, then God will not give us his gracious promises.  Let us pray that the men of God called to preach in our churches will fulfill their duty by calling the people of this new nation to holiness, and that the civil magistrate will respect and honor the law of God revealed in the Holy Scriptures as a guide for justice in the land.

Rev. Larry E. BallLancaster County, VirginiaJuly 4, 1787
Larry E. Ball is a retired minister in the Presbyterian Church in America and is now a CPA. He lives in Kingsport, Tenn.
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If creating a meal for someone with multiple allergies is not an option, create a gathering that doesn’t include a meal. Have a game night and instead of a meal provide some store-bought safe snacks. Things like chips, salsa, and popcorn are usually great for most people with allergies and food disorders. By creating an activity to focus on, people won’t be focused on their food. This will help the guests feel more comfortable and less anxious at your event. 

As the holiday season approaches, many of us will share food with friends and family.  We will have family over for holiday meals.  We will share snacks at church events, parties, and homeschool groups. Everywhere we look we will encounter food. For many of us, food is the most delightful and joyous part of gatherings. What would December be without Christmas cookies and hot chocolate? Our culture, among others, revolves around food and eating together. We look forward to meals together at the table, find enjoyment in the anticipation of what food we will eat, and create traditions that are all centered around food. Practicing hospitality through meals and celebratory food is something observable in the scriptures. It’s not an exaggeration to say that food is an essential part of human life. We are so thankful to be a part of a church that shows hospitality with consideration for those who have food allergies and disorders. But I know that many churches do not show the same consideration.
What about those people for whom food is not a celebratory moment but instead can cause feelings of fear, self-consciousness, and exclusion?  How do we handle gatherings for individuals who have different food needs?  Partaking in meals together is one form of hospitality that God has shown us we are to partake in together, and yet there is sin in the world that even distorts the good. But what happens when we encounter individuals who have food allergies, sensitivity, neurodivergence, food disorders, and more?
What Does the Bible Say About Eating Together?
The best place to start when asking questions about anything is to open God’s Word. Today we are going to see what the scriptures say about eating together.

Genesis 18:6. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. 3 He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord,[a] do not pass your servant by. 4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”

One of the first instances we see of food and hospitality being offered is in Genesis. Here, Abraham is approached by strangers. His first reaction is to invite them in, give them the best food he can offer, and have a feast. Providing food for others has been ingrained in us as humans. It has been around since the beginning of time.

Matthew 14:19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.

In Matthew, we are shown the example of Jesus feeding people after he spoke. These people refused to go home, and Jesus knowing they would need food, provided that for them. The people all sat on the grass together and feasted. They gave thanks and were appreciative of the food that was provided for them. Eating together must be important since it is seen many times throughout the New Testament. (John 21:9-14, Acts 2:42, Luke 9:16)
The last scripture we are going to look at is Romans 14:1-4.

Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

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Each of us must ask ourselves, “Do I despise God’s daily bread by grasping greedily [and often anxiously] for something more?” Of course, this doesn’t mean earthly riches are inherently sinful (see 1 Tim. 6:17–19). We must, however, recognize that the manic pursuit of them is symptomatic of a deeper discontentment with our divine lot. We do well to be watchful and to recall the words of Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

You might have heard about Forrest Fenn’s hidden treasure. In 2010, the millionaire Fenn squirreled away a chest full of valuables worth an estimated $1 million. Hundreds of thousands of people searched for the buried treasure, which wasn’t discovered until June of 2020 by a medical student named Jack Stuef. As exhilarating as I imagine a treasure hunt would be, Fenn’s quest also proved deadly. Five people lost their lives in the process of trying to find the treasure—one of them was even a pastor.
When the quest for temporal goods is viewed as ultimate, it becomes an all-consuming cancer. Wisdom says that greed for unjust gain takes away the life of its possessor (Prov. 1:19). Our Lord Jesus listed greed among the pollutions of the human heart, right along with murder and adultery (Mark 7:21–22, NASB). In Luke, He prefaced the parable of the rich fool by saying, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). The original word behind covetousness is the same word used for greed in Mark 7:22. It’s the Greek word pleonexia, which is defined as “the state of desiring to have more than one’s due,”1 or “a strong desire to acquire more and more material possessions or to possess more things than other people have, all irrespective of need.”2 Thomas Aquinas simply defined covetousness, or greed, as “the immoderate love of possessing.”3
But have you ever heard someone confess to being greedy? Perhaps more importantly, have you ever asked God to forgive you for greediness? Based on how infrequently this particular sin is named, one gets the sense that the immoderate love of possessing is something we rarely, if ever, struggle with. This would have surprised the Apostle Paul, who wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that in the last days men would be lovers of money (2 Tim. 3:2).
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