With America’s 250th birthday coming up, many are reflecting on the nation’s founding. America was undoubtedly influenced by Christianity and Christian principles, but does that mean it was actually founded as a Christian nation? What did the Founding Fathers actually believe about religious freedom?
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The founding fathers were a mixed bag. The bible describes rebellion as witchcraft (perhaps because both seek to impose their will on others). One might consider that the fathers were aware of the environment in which they lived which as Christian at least superficially. Most were functionally secular, but knew that sensitivity towards Christianity was required. They saw in England the heavy footprint of the Church of England on the necks of the people and sought to avoid that.
Some like Thomas Jefferson were rather liberal going so far as to write his own bible. While most did not go that far, they did see human nature as basically corrupt and sought to form a government that would use checks and balances to frustrate any would be tyrants.
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I think the article’s subtitle says it well: “the answer is complicated.”
It seems clear that Christianity had a significant influence on many of the values that shaped the nation, while at the same time the Founding Fathers held a variety of personal religious beliefs and intentionally protected religious freedom in the Constitution.
To me, one of the remarkable aspects of the founding was the recognition that faith cannot be compelled by government. Genuine belief has to be freely chosen. Regardless of where someone lands on the question of whether America was founded as a “Christian nation,” I think the commitment to religious liberty has allowed people of many different faiths, and those with no faith, to live according to their convictions.
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It certainly has allowed various faiths…in the worst way possible.
I’ve read that there are after school programs being proposed for children nowadays so that they can be initiated into the beliefs of satanism.
If they had the best intentions, it certainly has gone wrong. The disciples had their mission to spread the truth Jesus revealed to them. They weren’t open to various different faiths and neither should any Christian who stands for truth.
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At least 12 of the original 13 states had explicitly Christian constitutions, and were made in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Most also required “test oaths,” in which aspirants to political offices pledged allegiance to the God of the Bible, and the Bible of God.
We publicly broke faith the God of the Bible in 1789, when a secretive cabal of Freemasons broke faith with those who had sent them to Philadelphia. Instead of fine-tuning the Articles of Confederation, they created a whole new constitution, made in the name of a whole new deity – we, the people. This new deity brooked no rival gods, and aspirants to public office were forbidden to pledge allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ before taking office.
I don’t think about it as does it really matter as this earth is not home?
I think America definely has a Christian moral and population which has led to our prosperity, unlike nations with Islamic and atheistic principles.
However I don’t like how the administration has turned the cross into a sword to defend a Christian nation. Whenever I hear stuff that figures like Pete Hegseth, Douglass Wilson, and the department of homeland security say I feel sick as they are using God as an excuse to justify hate and killing and that God will give you basically karma (especially the DHS)
Note I am not a lefty. More I just don’t like politics loosing faith.
No. I had to really think about this and I feel it continues to this day . It’s American and I’m not sure what they should call it but it is of God and it’s not traditional. It’s just so obvious this separations continue to this day in this country just as strong as ever yet it’s of God and I hope will get a new name and a smart defining that makes sense to all of us who know their is a God but will not be stepping into Christian Catholic Jewish Temple Muslim Mosque or anything else because we feel it’s corrupt and their a lot of us Americans yet we desire to be of God. I never really put much thought into it until your question and I was really awestruck thinking about the beginning and the continued same. And many of US do believe in a covenant with God and country . It really awe struck me when I thought all the peoples I know who won’t attend church yet have a God and the beginnings and how is it possible it’s only possible with God