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?
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.