Is America a Christian Nation?
Mention the role of faith in public life, and somebody is bound to bring up the faith of the Founders. Like many debates, this one has two extremes. Many secularists (and some conspiracy-minded Christians) claim that the Founders were mostly deists or religious skeptics who wanted to keep religion on the sidelines. (Deism is the view that God created the world and established a moral law, but doesn’t get involved in the day-to-day details on the ground. Strict deists rejected the possibility of miracles and the value of prayer.) They trot out skeptical quotes from Thomas Jefferson and talk about the “Jefferson Bible,” in which Jefferson deleted all references to miracles from the gospels.
In response, some Christians seem intent on proving that almost all the Founders were conservative evangelical Christians. They will cite the many statements by Founders showing their Christian piety or commending the value of Christianity for society. The truth is that the lines separating orthodox Christianity from deism were blurry in 18th-century America. We should resist the temptation to cram them into tidy modern compartments. Many of the Founders, such as Patrick Henry, John Jay, John Witherspoon, and Samuel Adams, were serious Christians, without a whiff of deism on them. Almost all were Protestants, though Charles Carroll, who signed the Declaration of Independence, was a Catholic. None were atheists.
George Washington was an Episcopalian, though he often attended different houses of worship. He believed deeply in God’s providence and in the necessity of religion for morality. In his inaugural address, he said:
“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports….Let it simply be asked, Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that National morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”
We could pile on quote after quote along the same lines from the Founders. Even so-called deists such as Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin supported prayer and religious observance. Others who were Unitarian, such as John Adams, often spoke fondly of Christianity and, in particular, its moral system.
This was but the most crucial of several points of agreement among the American Founders:
· The Church has a proper authority that the state must respect.
· The federal government should neither establish nor prohibit the free exercise of religion.
· Every person should enjoy religious liberty.
· Religion, and especially Christianity, is vital to the survival and prosperity of the American Experiment.
· We know by reason that God and a natural law exist.
· Public displays of respect for God are right and good, and don’t constitute an establishment of religion.
These views allowed the Founders to revere God in public, even officially, while still opposing a federally established church. God’s existence and the basic principles of morality, they believed, were public truths, not sectarian religious doctrines. So when the US Congress adopted “In God We Trust” as our national motto in 1956, they were not imposing religion on the public, but publicly recognizing God—just as the Founders did. The phrase had appeared on our coins as early as the 1850s.
Remember, it was Thomas Jefferson, a deist of sorts, who wrote in the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights….” On this point, the Founders believed, reason and revelation agreed.
Secularists insist on practical atheism as the only neutral, legitimate public philosophy. It’s the idea that people can believe and practice whatever religion they choose in their private lives, but when we come together in public, whether it’s to explore the origin of the universe, debate public policy, or explain why a criminal went on a shooting spree, we must assume God doesn’t exist. Any reference to God or morality, on this view, transgresses the boundaries of church and state and is a dangerous step down the road to theocracy, “dominionism,” or “Christian nationalism.”
This practical atheism is ardently promoted by groups such as Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, and the American Civil Liberties Union, and accepted by most academic elites. It is entirely alien to the thought of the Founders and most Americans. Today, our greatest danger is not a Christian theocracy, but a secularist theocracy that tolerates no dissent.
Many Americans ask, “Is the United States a ‘Christian Nation’?” It’s easy to get bogged down in this debate. The problem is that the phrase means different things to different people. If we’re talking about the views of most Americans, then certainly we are a Christian nation. About 78% of Americans identify themselves as Christians of some sort. All other religions combined make up less than 5 percent, and about 16 percent are unaffiliated (though not necessarily atheist). So just as we talk about “Muslim countries,” where most of the citizens are Muslims, we could refer to the United States as a “Christian nation.”
The phrase also makes sense if you’re talking about American history. The original American colonies were overwhelmingly Christian. In fact, most started as Christian charters. Moreover, our laws and political traditions come larger from the Judeo-Christian culture of Europe, and especially Great Britain.
But when some people hear talk of America as a “Christian nation,” they envision a country where Christianity is mandated, or where non-Christians are viewed as second-class citizens, or where atheists are herded out of the political process. So unless you explain what you mean by the phrase, talking about the United States as a Christian nation is liable to create more heat than light.
It is our sincere desire and prayer that the insights and truths we share in our book, Indivisible, will inspire Christians to be as involved in local and national direction as those who are committed to remove any effect of faith on the public. Why would people who claim to believe in the importance of God’s kingdom influence indifferently allow the few Americans who want progressive socialism while also rejecting traditional faith and moral values to create a “hell on earth” for our families to endure? In a free constitutional republic we have the privilege of choice by voting for the best leaders and programs. Negative trends brought on by idolatry and godlessness can only continue if those professing to know God fail to stand up for what they claim to believe.
This commentary was adapted from the New York Times best-selling book INDIVISIBLE: Restoring Faith, Family and Freedom Before It’s Too Late, co-authored by James Robison and Jay Richards.
This article was written by James Robison and Jay Richards
9 comments:
DEAR JAMES,
I REALLY LIKED YOUR MESSAGE. I READ IT AND BELIEVE IT IS A MESSAGE OF HOPE AND, ALSO I READ IT AS A MESSAGE OF WARNING.
I SEE IT AS ‘HOPE’ BECAUSE YOU STRONGLY INDICATE THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF AMERICANS ARE CHRISTIANS AND, THE FOUNDING FATHERS HAVE LAID OUT CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES AS A GUIDE TO SETTING UP THE LAWS AND MORALITY FOR THIS GREAT NATION .
HOWEVER, JAMES, THERE IS A WARNING IN YOUR MESSAGE AND IT IS QUITE CLEAR: LET US ACT AS RESPONSIBLE CHRISTIANS AND GET INVOLVED! FIND OUT WHAT THE CANDIDATES STAND FOR. HAVE THEY THE INTEREST OF FAMILY VALUES? DO THEY BELIEVE IN THE FREE MARKET? WHAT IS THEIR STAND ON THE RIGHT TO LIFE FOR THE UNBORN? AND THE AGED? WE MUST FIND OUT THE FACTS BEFORE WE VOTE BECAUSE OTHERWISE, AS JAMES IMPLIES, AMERICA WILL BE TURNED OVER TO A GOVERNMENT BENT ON SOCIALISM AND THEN ” ALL HELL WILL BREAK LOOSE! ”
Good point, Mr. Lewis!
I TAKE OPPOSITION TO YOUR POINT ABOUT AMERICA BEING THE ” ONLY CHRISTIAN NATION ” THAT ALLOWS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM TO ALL IT’S CITIZENS. THE REASON IS THAT I LIVE IN A COUNTRY THAT IS NORTH OF YOU AND, WAS FOUNDED ON THE SAME CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES THAT AMERICA ENJOYS TODAY! YES, I AM FROM CANADA AND, WE ARE A PREDOMINANTLY CHRISTIAN NATION AS WELL !!!
If you mean that Christianity is mandated or required in America, then no, America is not a Christian nation. If you mean that America has a Christian state church, then no, America is not a Christian nation. If however, you mean that America has Biblical Christian principles at its foundation and roots, then YES, America is a Christian nation. If you mean that most Americans subscribe to the Christian faith, then YES, America is a Christian nation. If you mean that our founding fathers saw Christianity as a given to support a republic, then YES, American is a Christian nation. If you mean that the “religion” spoken of by our founding fathers was Christianity, then YES, America is a Christian nation. I believe the “AYES” have it! The pilgrims came with the budding idea of establishing liberty of conscience (religion). There is no other nation on earth where any religion other than Christianity allows for and protects this freedom to worship God according to the dictates of one’s conscience. The principles of Christianity are the great liberator because Jesus is the Great Liberator. “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free…He whom the Son has set free is free indeed!” I thank God for America and pray that He will always be the God in whom we trust and the God under Whose sovereignty we submit as one nation.
The Treaty with Tripoli mentioned above was written on November 4, 1796, one of several attempts to stop the pirates of the Barbary Coast (Muslims in North Africa) to stop seizing American ships, cargo, and citizens. The Muslims were attempting to incite a “holy war” against “Christian” nations. They eventually declared war against the U.S. in 1801. This treaty, which was replaced a few years later, was not signed by Washington, but by Adams. The subsequent treaties did not include the phrase regarding the official religion of the U.S. The original Arabic version, discovered in 1930, did not include the phrase either. (For more, see http://www.wallbuilders.com/libissuesarticles.asp?id=125)
Historical facts regarding this temporary and minor document, the United States does not have an official religion, so it’s not legally a “Christian” nation any more than it is Muslim, Hindu, Catholic, Unitarian, or atheist. We have no official religion, but theoretically allow freedom of religion for everyone. At the same time, the founding documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, clearly have religious references and principles. That religion is not any other religion than Christianity. The “Divine Providence” is clearly not Allah, Budda, Diana, Thor, or any other god. It is the God of the Bible.
That treaty was replaced, rendering it moot. However, your point does not rely on that one treaty, so I hear what you’re saying.
What counts is the English Version was ratified & signed By Adams & according to Article 6:2 of the Constitution became the supreme Law of the land. “…And all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the U.S. shall be the supreme law of the land…” All Judges & States must abide by this treaty. A treaty is not minor. Also, It did express the sentiments of Adams & the U.S. Congress & their view of the Constitution not being founded on the Christian Religion! So, its principles come from somewhere else, which I believe the Declaration of Independence shed’s light on.
Terms such as the God of Nature/Natures God are enlightenment terms. The belief in this religion is that one can learn all he needs to know God (even as creator) is by nature & reason. “The framers nowhere attributed the inspiration for any specific article or amendment in the Constitution to the Bible or laws of Yahweh” After reviewing 2200 political writings published between 1760-1805, David S. Lutz & Charles S. Hyneman came to some interesting conclusions regarding the Bible’s influence upon the Constitutional framers & others of that of that period. Lutz admitted that while the book “book…most quoted by Americans during the founding era [was] the Book of Deuteronomy…the Bibles prominence disappears [during the Federalist/Anti-Federalist debate over the Constitution],” & “the Federalists’inclination to Enlightenment rationalism is most evident here in their failure to consider the Bible relevant”49.-Between the 1770′s & 80′s, Biblical quotations decreased among both Federalist & Anti-Federalists, while enlightenment & Whig citations increased.
http://www.missiontoisrael.org/biblelaw-constitutionalism-pt3.php
The Founding Fathers believed that the PEOPLE were the highest authority & not Christ or Biblical Law. 2 Examples quoted can be referenced from the Website above:
John Adams regarding the States Constitutions:
It will never be pretended that any persons employed in that service [the establishment of the States Constitutions] had interviews with gods, or were in any degree under the inspiration of Heaven…it will forever be acknowledged that these govt’s were contrived merely by the use of reason & senses…Thirteen govt’s [of the original States] thus founded on the natural authority of the people alone…55
James Monroe, Fifth President said:
The people, the highest authority known in our system, from whom all our institutions spring & on whom they depend, formed it.54__
Because These Presidents & other founders may have quoted the Bible @ other times is really no different from today when Clinton, Bush, or Obama do. This doesn’t make them Christian in their actions. To be sure, the country had a lot of Christian influence, but not in the forming of our government as is abundantly clear. The colonies formed their Constitutions from the bible before the Revolution. But that all changed with our Decl. of Indep. & the Fed. Constitution. AGAIN, how can we say that the First Amendment upholds any Christian Principle, when It VIOLATES,”YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS!!
Respectfully, Greg
…the government of the United States of America is not,in any sense, founded on the Christian religion…
Treaty with Tripoli, of Barbary, Article 11
George Washington signed the preliminary treaty in 1796 @ the end of his last term as President. John Adams signed the final version as President in 1797.
Religious Pluralism is only Government Sanctified Polytheism, which the first amendment grants. To say that the Constitution is Christian is a fallacy. The 10 Commandments are violated, namely “you shall have no other gods”. Next, Paul in Acts 17:16-31 tells the people of Athens to Repent of their numerous idols or face Christ as Judge. Our Constitution places us under the wrath of God.
Christianity cannot be mandated no more than Israel’s religion was to be. Exodus 12:43-49 allowed the strangers & foreigners to dwell with Israel as long as they obeyed the same laws Israel did Vs 49. However, the Stranger did not have to embrace Israels religion. That was voluntary. If they did, then were to be circumcised Vs 44-48. So, the religious ordinances were optional unless converted. On the other hand the civil laws were not. The churches job is to preach the gospel to change hearts. The governments job is to enforce Gods Law to punish law breakers & protect the law abiding, Rom 13:1-7, 1 Tim 1:8-11. Gods law is the only true standard of Justice to know what good & evil is. Christian conversion also includes baptism NT Circumcision Col 2:11-12. As Gods civil law was mandatory on the strangers,foreigners, & hired hands to obey, & these folks came out of very decadent cultures, (Egypt & Canaan), so there is nothing wrong with God’s law being enforced in the U.S. People are free not to be Christians if they choose not to, but the worship of false religions should not be allowed. It only brings God’s wrath.
All this presupposes that Christians think differently by lining up with God’s Word. If He’s honored, then His presence can come to our nation & God show us if these things be so. Compromising with the Republican Party & getting back to the Constitution is not the answer. It will only bring God’s Wrath!!
Greg
Jesus did not accept the Kingdoms of this world when he was being
assaulted by Satan in the wilderness. We, on the other hand, by thinking
that America is Christian, are fooling ourselves and have allowed evil
men to rule over us without any accountability.
In other words, by realizing that there are more Christians in America,
we should be having a bigger say over how our government is run.
However, because of thinking we are Christian, we have allowed the
government to take over the tasks of the church, to where we cannot
present the food we give in Jesus Name for the health and well being
of the people we are giving it to.