In the Treaty of Tripoli, drafted in 1796 under George Washington and signed by John Adams in 1797, in Article 11, it states:
"As the Government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Musselmen; and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries."
Also, the original Pledge of Allegiance didn't contain the words "under God". The congress voted to include that in 1954 during the McCarthy era.
To declare the US was founded as a Christian nation shows ignorance and no research done on behalf in finding out the truth and not relying on what you've been told!
2006-12-10 18:33:02 · 25 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
They are misinformed. Many of the Founding Fathers were not Christian. Deism was prominent also among our early leaders. Christians assume our means for the development of our form of government and law was Christian based, but in fact it was based on the Ancient Greeks. This is why the White House looks like the Parthenon. Secularism was very important to our development as a country.
We are just starting rectify some of our past mistakes when it comes to the Separation of Church and State. I hope eventually, under God, will be removed so that The Pledge can go back to it's unaltered state.
Would you like to watch a video I made?
2006-12-10 18:45:21 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 2⤋
Washington stated that it is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. "Haley's Handbook" Zondervan, 1927, 1965, Page 18.
Patrick Henry(Give me liberty or give me death) stated: It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was not founded by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here. "God's Providence in America's History", Steve C. Dawson, Rancho Cordova, 1988 Vol I, page 5.
Look, I can site you quotes and references for the next month and not get tired. But don't take my word for it. Just take a trip to DC and look around the city. You will find scripture engraved all over the place because that's what the Fathers of this nation did.
The Congress of the United States decided to add the words "under God" in the '50s, and Eisenhower signed the Bill. No one complained except a few Kooks. I know cause I remember the event very well.
I Cr 13;8a
12-10-6
Its obvious you haven't really done your homework or you would not ask this type of question. Sorry no offense.
2006-12-10 19:22:50 · answer #2 · answered by ? 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Never was America founded under any religion, but for the survival of the government they had learn many mistakes done to other countries that had fallen toward such a situation. Georg Washington and many others were a believer in a supreme being or in other words, an architek of the universe. But in most places especially in Washington D.C. it has so many Laws of Moses ingraven on the Government Buildings, so maybe in a way America was influenced mostly by Christianity.
2006-12-10 18:43:58 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Hmm..I realize that is the official stance per Treaty of Tripoli. But--with that said..Go back and review history. What were the pilgrims leaving behind in Europe? Religious oppression. Thus the strong likleyhood of the above article 11stance, i.e. they were oppressed and they did not want to be the oppressors. Bottom line...this country was founded on christian principles the official lingo just didn't make it in the treaty...do more research.
the truth is out there...
Be Blessed.
2006-12-11 11:22:22 · answer #4 · answered by motherbear 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It says "the Government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion;" read the first part again...THE GOVERNMENT. However almost every founding father in America was a Christian therefore America was founded on Christianity. That's why we have freedom of religion when most countries not founded on Christianity do not. Also your argument on the pledge of allegiance is just stupid. The pledge has nothing to do with the U.S. government. It was written for a children's magazine for the anniversary of Columbus discovering America. So who cares if it was changed or not. It's like adding a word to a poem it doesn't matter.
2006-12-10 18:46:19 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
The Settlers were trying to get away from the Church of England. The church was like a government, and the church is not. Faith should come from a natural process and cannot be forced upon someone. The settlers wanted to worship God how they wanted, not by ritualistic acts
2016-05-23 04:30:52 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The founding fathers may have been deists, but certainly not christians.
"What influence, in fact, have ecclesiastical establishments had on society? In some instances they have been seen to erect a spiritual tyranny on the ruins of the civil authority; on many instances they have been seen upholding the thrones of political tyranny; in no instance have they been the guardians of the liberties of the people. Rulers who wish to subvert the public liberty may have found an established clergy convenient auxiliaries. A just government, instituted to secure and perpetuate it, needs them not."
[James Madison, "A Memorial and Remonstrance", 1785.]
"I almost shudder at the thought of alluding to the most fatal example of the abuses of grief which the history of mankind has preserved -- the Cross. Consider what calamities that engine of grief has produced!"
[John Adams, in a letter to Thomas Jefferson.]
"History I believe furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance, of which their political as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purpose."
[Thomas Jefferson to Baron von Humboldt, 1813.]
"I cannot conceive otherwise than that He, the Infinite Father, expects or requires no worship or praise from us, but that He is even infinitely above it."
[Benjamin Franklin, from "Articles of Belief and Acts of Religion", Nov. 20, 1728.]
More:
http://www.infidels.org/news/atheism/extra/founding-fathers.html
http://www.alabamaatheist.org/awareness/questions/nation.htm
2006-12-10 19:24:05 · answer #7 · answered by eldad9 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Harper's had a good article on that this month. The christian right is trying to rewrite American history. Most of our founding fathers were masons or not religious.
In god we trust did not hit money til the 50s either. The right used communism to push that one too.
We have had many presidents and founding fathers that were not christian
Paine
Jefferson
Washington
Franklin
Lincoln
Grant
Adams
I could come up with some quotes too if need be
2006-12-10 18:48:15 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
Why assume all Christians think that? I don't believe it was founded a "Christian nation", that's a narrow opinion of American History if someone thinks that. I feel sometimes America is the battleground so to speak. Because we espouse concepts like freedom, and free speech, all religions are welcome. That makes it difficult for Christians to have any impact.
2006-12-10 18:56:30 · answer #9 · answered by Scott B 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
They do it out of a desperate attempt to justify their prejudice and the attempt to disallow anything that goes against the Christian religion. They want everything to be forced to live by the Christian religion whether people want to or not.
2006-12-10 18:40:18 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋