Why do people say the USA was founded as a Christian country when this is clearly a lie?

Question

Fact:
Declaration of Independence refers to 'Nature's God', a term used exclusively by Deists.
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/index.htm

Fact:
Articles of Confederation of 1781 refer to the "Great Governor of the World," another Deist title for God.
http://libertyonline.hypermall.com/ArtConfed.html

Fact:
The Constitution of the USA does not mention God at all except in the phrase, "In the Year of our Lord," which is nothing but an english translation of "Anno Domini", or "AD".
http://www.law.emory.edu/FEDERAL/usconst/amend.html#art-1

Fact:
Treaty of Tripoli, Article eleven, categorically states that the USA was not founded as a Christian Nation, a treaty ratified by the Congress of 1979.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Tripoli

ADMITTEDLY ---
Other documents DO reference the Yahweh, however, the first three references I give are the entire basis of Law in the USA. None of the documents that reference Yahweh play a part in that basis.

Correction: Treaty of Tripoli was ratified in 1797. Just a typo on my part.

Quoting any president past the first is invalid, as the rest were giving opinions that did not directly relate to the founding of the USA.

George Washington is an interesting case though. Much of his life story suggests the he was a Diest. He would never answer questions about his church attendance, for example. However, he did seem to understand the importance of using the Bible & God.

It is an open question in history if Washington was a Diest who used Christianity to lead those who would not follow otherwise, or, if he was in fact a faithful Christian.

Regardless of the personal religious inclination of the founding fathers, they did not write Christianity into the foundation of this country. The men did not found the government, the documents that laid the groundwork did, and the groundwork is Deist, not Christian.

"Under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegience by an act of Congress in the 1950's or 1960's. It was not foundational.

It was a knee jerk reaction to the communist scare.

It is also worth mentioning that Deists *DO* believe in a God. "In God We Trust" was a common Deist saying -- and in fact, meant, "We trust in the facilities God has given us, reason, intellect, and observation." It did not mean, in that context, "We believe in Jesus Christ and confess him to be our Savior."

Yes. The country was founded with a belief in *A* God. Just not the CHRISTIAN God.

I re-iterate: It does not matter what the individual people believed. It matters what was put in the foundation of the country, the documents that laid the framework.

Answer 1

I agree with Tao Barbie™, in that this is not something that can be resolved on a Yahoo Answer board in a way that benefits anyone (except perhaps as a catharsis for you). Actually, her answer could pretty much apply to 95% of the questions here at Yahoo Answers.

But I do see where the consequences of this myth being perpetuated and believed leads. It lends to the jingoistic conflation of religion with patriotism. And I have to admit, that misleading tack has worked extraordinarily well for politicians of all stripes, and especially in the last couple of presidential elections.

But don't make the common skeptic mistake of thinking that the spreading of this kind of BS is purposefully misleading. It can be. But once the crucifix-painted flag is raised, there are those who agree with (and like) the idea so much that they run with it. I have a friend who bases half his ministry around repeating whatever war-on-Christians drivel he hears on Fox, or from other pastors.

And there's your answer, for what it's worth: the idea is sometimes forwarded deceitfully to forward an agenda, but is just as often repeated and spread by those who like the idea that they're being unfairly persecuted -- that they aren't just being good Christians, but that they're being patriots as well when they stand against secular ideas that work to take away the inherent majority-religion advantages they've held for decades or centuries.

Answer 2

Even a cursory look at the Founding Fathers shows that they came from a multitude of religious faiths, not merely Deism. These faiths include: Unitarian, Episcopal/Anglican, Methodist, Quaker, Atheist, Agnostic, Christian(unspecified Protestant), and Catholic.

Do you really think that all of these people would have signed off on a Deist document?

Answer 3

The testimony of presidents

The Bible was clearly important to many American presidents. A few examples:

It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible.
George Washington

The whole inspiration of our civilization springs from the teachings of Christ and the lessons of the prophets. To read the Bible for these fundamentals is a necessity of American life.
Herbert Hoover

In regard to this great book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man's welfare, here and hereafter, are to found portrayed in it.
Abraham LIincoln

Hold fast to the Bible as the sheet-anchor of your liberties; write its precepts in your hearts and practice them in your lives. To the influence of this book we are indebted for all the progress made in true civilization, and to this we must look as our guide in the future. Righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people.
Ulysses S. Grant

Answer 4

Wasn't the USA founded on the basis of religious freedom?

Answer 5

It was founded on Christian principles, I'm not American and I know that, 50 of the 52 founding fathers were christian and many of the tenets set forth are based on biblicl principle, you can't change history no matter how much you whine.

Answer 6

Boy, you're long winded with not a whole lot to say. The country was founded on Freedom of Religion, not on religion itself. Get real.

Answer 7

Notice that the "people" who claim this are primarily Christian (however, not all Christians say so). They say that either the country or its laws were founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs. This occurs when they cannot find anything else to argue for the validity of certain laws.

Answer 8

In their own wisdom they became fools.

"Fools" was found 8 times in 8 verses in the New Testament.

Matthew 23:17 - Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

Matthew 23:19 - Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

Luke 11:40 - Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?

Luke 24:25 - Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

Romans 1:22 - Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

1 Corinthians 4:10 - We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.

2 Corinthians 11:19 - For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.

Ephesians 5:15 - See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

Answer 9

Who cares? Does it really bother you that much? Do you sit at home and fester, getting angry and resentful over this? What if you make your point or win your debate? Have you accomplished anything? Will the nation change at all? Do you have anything to do?

Who really gives a sh*t?

.

Answer 10

actually you are deceiving yourself and it is a shame to you. The mayflower consisted of christians who left england to worship God in thier own way instead of the roman catholic church telling them how to worship God.