Why is that so many people think America was founded on the Christian Religion?

Question

Why do you think our forefathers separated Church and State?

Washington's administration even negotiated a treaty with the Muslim rulers of north Africa that stated explicitly that the United States was not founded on Christianity. The pact, known as the Treaty with Tripoli, was approved unanimously by the Senate in 1797, under the administration of John Adams. Article 11 of the treaty states, "[T]he government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion…."

Because this was unanimously approved by the Senate in 1797, this is the law of the land. The United States is not a Christian Nation, and it is not an Atheist Nation. There is no Official Religion.

Also the Phrase "Under God" Added to the pledge of Allegiance in 1954, was in fact added as a response to Communism.

Answer 1

The Treaty of Tripoli is certainly one good example of the desire to keep government and religion separate. The first two presidents supported this, as did many in Congress. I note that according to our Constitution, treaties are indeed the law of the land.

Regarding the number of times the word "God" appears in the Declaration of Independence...umm, it is once, in the introduction it refers to "Nature's God" then never uses the word again. This is not specifically Christian by any means. Nor is the use of the term "Creator."

In the Constitution, the number of times the word appears is zero.

Answer 2

Okay look I have been researching this for over two years and have read over 300 books on the topic from respected professors, and contacted professors from Yale and other colleges to fill in the gaps. The Treaty of Tripoli did not mean "America has no Christian heritage" because you cannot make a law saying something was or wasn't a part of history (since treaties are considered law). The Treaty dealt with the federal government, which the Founders indeed wanted to keep secular, there is no denying that. However even at the time of Tripoli, I think all but three of the states had an official religion, excluding Virginia, Rhode Island, and Georgia.

I have nearly 600 hand-written pages of facts though about America's Christian Heritage, and am ready to discuss any point of American history from Columbus to John Quincy.

Answer 3

Fundie Xtians view the world through their own blinders. They wish the world was, at least at one time, they way they think it should be. It's very easy to ascribe a set of beliefs and attributes to people who lived over 200 years ago. Thing is, there are a lot of writings that attest to the fact that what Fundie Xtians wish and claim to be true (namely, that the US was founded as a Christian nation) is simply not true.

To the 'In God We Trust' poster: apparently you're unaware that 'In God We Trust' was not adopted as a motto in this country until 1956. This was in response to Communism (which explicitly did not believe in God) See the link below.

It wasn't until 1954 that the phrase 'Under God' was added to the Pledge of Allegiance. Again, in order to set us apart from the 'Godless Communists.'

While the US is a secular nation in principle, it is a very Christian nation in fact. This is part of our national identity. And, quite often, it seems to be our downfall. When the illustrious president claims that 'God' put him in the White House, why did no one run after him with a huge net and throw him in the nuthouse? Other than some grumbling, people took it in stride.

Crazy.

Answer 4

To quote Patrick Henry:
It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, 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.” [May 1765 Speech to the House of Burgesses]
Hamilton; began work with the Rev. James Bayard to form the Christian Constitutional Society to help spread over the world the two things which Hamilton said made America great:
(1) Christianity
(2) a Constitution formed under Christianity.

I do not know where you folks seem to be getting your American History but it must under the guise of the new politically correct system, which teaches it is better to lie than offend anyone. History is what it is, good or bad, I can give you a quote or statement by almost everyone of our founding fathers in regard to this. Almost every signer of the declaration of independence was an affirmed christian, some of their beliefs were different, but was the whole idea behind freedom of religion. Your freedom to believe as you wished, or not to believe if you wished. But no state authorized religions as most European countries had and enforced at the time.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

America was actually founded on Christian principles and belief.

I wonder how long you searched for the wording of that treaty, when all you had to do was look at how many times "God" is named in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, the practice of opening Congress with a prayer, and the constant adding of the 10 commandments and Christian religious symbols to public buildings and our money?

Answer 7

Although the world knows that the USA is not a Christian nation according to law, dickwitted Americans from the top down keep telling the world it is. If the USA kept its religion more private and stopped trying to be a religious fundamentalist State - which is what much of the rest of the world thinks you are trying to do - then we would all breathe a little easier and possibly trust you again.

Answer 8

Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity.

-Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782

The whole history of these books [the Gospels] is so defective and doubtful that it seems vain to attempt minute enquiry into it: and such tricks have been played with their text, and with the texts of other books relating to them, that we have a right, from that cause, to entertain much doubt what parts of them are genuine. In the New Testament there is internal evidence that parts of it have proceeded from an extraordinary man; and that other parts are of the fabric of very inferior minds. It is as easy to separate those parts, as to pick out diamonds from dunghills.

-Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Adams, January 24, 1814

Answer 9

The "Separation of Church and State" was a comment made by Thomas Jefferson to a collegue in a letter. Unbeknownst to athiests, this was not included in the US Constitution. The Constitution declares that it cannot "create" a state religion.

The Founding Fathers were mostly Christian, and enthusiastically endorsed Judeo-Christian values. If this was not so, then why do courts swear truthfulness upon the Bible, swear in officials and US Presidents on the Bible, and open legistative sessions with Christian prayers, by Christian chaplains?

George Washington was a devout Christian. I've seen the rhetoric of athiests who claim he was not, which is totally false.

This country was indeed founded on Christian values, and it Christianity certainly was not meant to be quashed by the likes of athiests attempting to circumvent the US Constitution.

And I can assure you, we are not a secular nation.

Answer 10

yeah, 90% of the founding fathers were deists. A few, such, as Thomas Paine, were very actively anti-Christian.

C.J. You need to study your history, son. The founding fathers were NOT "mostly Christian."!! "Unbeknown to atheists"??? Unlike many Christians, we actually are in the habit more than one book (over and over again). Of course we know that!

George Washington was a devout Christian? You're insane:

"Washington gives us little in his writings to indicate his personal religious beliefs. As noted by Franklin Steiner in "The Religious Beliefs Of Our Presidents" (1936), Washington commented on sermons only twice. In his writings, he never referred to "Jesus Christ." He attended church rarely, and did not take communion - though Martha did, requiring the family carriage to return back to the church to get her later."

http://www.virginiaplaces.org/religion/religiongw.html