From September 10th, 2021

Was America founded on Christian principles? Is the United States a Christian nation? (warning: LONG post/semi-rant)

Before I answer, a couple of notes. I am a Christian. I am blessed to be married to a pastor, and I am regularly exposed to many different pastors’ teachings, allowing me to form what I hope is a well-rounded and grounded opinion. I am not afraid to question what doesn’t line up with what I have previously learned. That’s my loquacious way of saying I do not blindly accept any doctrine or idea presented before me. I haven’t always been a Christian, though, and have studied many different spiritual paths. I studied college level history and I read historical accounts now, so I’m certain my historical references are sound. I’ve been known to split a few hairs and over-analyze, so take what I say in the context of these notes. I am *always* open to being educated.

I believe very firmly in the separation of church and state. I’ve long said, “Never trust a preacher who tells you how to vote or a politician who tells you how to pray.”

So, knowing all this about me, my answer to the questions above are yes and no. Are we founded on Christian principles? Yes. While many of the founding fathers identified themselves as Deists, 98% of the original colonists were protestant. (Kosmin & Lachman, ‘One Nation Under God: Religion in Contemporary America.’) Those ideals are woven into our Constitution. It is commonly accepted, however, that because the founding fathers had experienced religious persecution and came to the new world to escape it, therefore a majority insisted in a separation of church and state for the newly minted United States. Is the United States a Christian nation? No. We were founded on a principle of separation of church and state. And while a majority of America identify as Christian, there are many other religions practiced openly and freely here as well.

What prompted me to write this…and something that I have been debating with myself for days about…is the following post which is currently making its way around Facebook:

"I don't want any confrontation on this post. Just getting my feelings out. If you don't agree just pass this by.

I'm going to vent here. I believe we all have the right to worship as we please, but I also know that our country, the United States of America, was founded on Christian principles. I believe we should be proud of our country. A quote is a quote. It should not be amended or watered down. The news should not be afraid to use the "Love of Christ" part. Why? Because using the word Christ might upset someone! Well now, it's my turn to be upset! I'm upset that they would edit it out. Upset that Christians are asked to tread lightly so as not to upset someone of another religion. Many a man loved his country and loved God and gave his life for both.

This Founding Principle is actually embedded in our 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, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

I hope every Christian or every person that believes in God who is offended will copy this and paste it to their status.

“If we ever forget that we're one nation under GOD, then we will be a nation gone under.” ~Ronald Reagan

*Before you say it, I already know that a lot of you don't copy & paste.* it's easy... hold your finger on this post, when the word “copy” appears just touch it then go to your home page and where it says "what's on your mind" touch it and hold your finger where you would start writing your comment and "paste”.

If you read to the end, can I get an "Amen!"?"

The author and the re-posters don’t want to be confronted about this, so I am taking to my page to express my opinion. The author’s anger/frustration, as well of the persons who are re-posting it, is misdirected, and based on flawed assertions.

1. The news is supposed to be unbiased. The phrase “The Love of Christ” while important to all Christians, does not carry the same importance to a non-Christian. And just as we Christians don’t wish to be persecuted for our faith and/or expressing our faith in our own spaces, we should not expect our faith and beliefs to dictate to everyone else how they should think or behave. You want your newscaster to use the phrase "The Love of Christ"? Watch the 700 Club, or maybe Fox News. (For the record, some of the news stories on the 700 Club are interesting because they aren't topics normally covered on the secular networks.)

2. The Declaration of Independence specifically uses the generic term “Creator” and not God/Christ/Jesus. Thomas Jefferson chose the word “creator” so as not to narrow it down to just one religion, as many of the religious states in Europe were doing at the time. The author of this rant has concluded that creator = God, but that is not the case.

Not specific to the above post, but along the same train of thought....I see a lot of Christians trying to enforce our beliefs and moral ethics on secular law. (Yeah, I’m looking at you Gov. Abbott, and the rest of your far rightwing, Christians in name only, cronies.) I think we are doing ourselves a big disservice. My understanding is that as Christians we are to be separate from the world. We’re pushing away people, many of whom might otherwise see the wonderful love of Jesus in our actions and want to join us. Take for example, reading the Bible and prayer in schools; the law states children cannot be forced to read passages from the Bible or say prayers, not that they can’t do it at all. I carried many different religious texts with me all throughout school, including the Bible, and no one ever told me I couldn’t read them. Nor was I ever discouraged from praying during the daily moment of silence. Or before I took a particularly tough exam. If we keep claiming we’re being persecuted simply because believers in other religions are given equal time and access, when the day comes, and it will, that we are truly being persecuted, no one is going to listen to us.

I forgot where I was ultimately going with this post. I think I made my point early on and just kept going because, well, I’ve never been any good at knowing when to shut up. And though I feel very strongly about my assertions, I am always open to being educated.