Was America really founded as a christian nation?

Question

I don't believe this to be true and a lot of people think America is a christian nation..

Didn't the earliest settlers come to america to escape all the religious persecutions in europe?

Answer 1

The Treaty with Tripoli, signed into law by President John Adams in 1797, and which ended the war with the Barbary Pirates, states explicitly that "the United States of America is in no sense founded on the Christian religion." This treated was ratified by the Senate unanimously, without any debate.

While it is certainly true that, then as now, the majority of Americans who profess a belief in a particular religion cite Christianity as their faith of choice, that is not the same thing as saying that the United States is a "Christian" nation. In fact, Jefferson reports that during the Constitutional Convention an attempt was made to insert a reference to Christ into the Constitution itself, but that the effort was voted down.

It is quite clear from even a cursory reading of the words of the men who created the Constitution that, regardless of their personal beliefs, the United States was founded on the ideals of the Enlightenment and not on Christianity, nor any other system of religious beliefs.

Answer 2

People came from Europe for various reasons - some to escape religious persecution and some in the hopes of having a better standard of living. The Mayflower had both groups on it. When they finally landed they had to sign an agreement to help each other through the 1st winter and elect a governor as the groups did not like each other and some were already saying they were going their own way, which would have been disasterous for everyone.

Many of the founders of the USA were Christians, but they did not write Christianity into the constitution. They made it so people could follow there own conscience to worship God in the manner they saw fit and not be forced to worship God as others saw fit (that's what they left behind in Europe).

Many early settlements had Christian laws on their books (blue laws) many of the laws are still there, just not enforced. When laws are made to follow one religion above another then open persecution is allowed. That is what the Founding Father's were against. (Christians against forced Christianity.)

Answer 3

America was never a nation when America was founded.Pilgrims and Spaniards found America for different purposes which where to find gold and religious freedom.Since America was merely found with out a religion ,that means that it wasn't founded as a Christian nation,because the Pilgrims separated from their religion and Spaniards didn't even have a religion.

So,no America was not really founded as a Christian nation.

Answer 4

The answer is a resounding NO.

The first settlers in America were Spaniards whose primary mission was to find gold!! Then was in Southwestern USA and in Florida.

The first English settlement (and did not last) was in North Carolina and it was a completely commerical venture.

The Jamestown settlement was also a completely commerical venture.

The Puritian (of whom the Pligrims were one sect) were not after religious freedom for anyone of any other faith than themselves.

The first colony (and only) to be settled for pure Religious freedom was Rhode Island.

The Constitution was written (concerning religion) so that there would not be a "national religion" as there was in England. For many years, some of the states after the signing of the Constitution had "state religions" for which taxes were collected. Mass. and Maryland come to mind.

I have seen little in history that proves this is a christian nation. Even Rhode Island with their religious freedom had many that were atheists. Our founding fathers, including Jefferson, Paine, Adams, etc. were not christian but were deists---that is they believed that a God created the universe, set up the natural laws of it, and then let it proceed. In fact Jefferson wrote/translated a version of the Bible that omitted the "miracles" of Jesus.

Answer 5

This is a loaded question, since people's beliefs influence the answer.

I would say no. While some of the founding fathers were religious, many were not - or were not traditional Christians. While a religious tradition was undoubtably influencial, it was far from the only influence on the founders - note Locke, Rousseau and the other enlightment thinkers (DEF not traditional Christians) and Native American democratic ideas.

Answer 6

It was founded on the principle of freedom of religion. Most of the early settlers were Christian. The reason they cared so deeply about freedom of religion is that they were non-conformist Christians who did not follow Britain's state religion of Anglican Christianity or continental Europe's state religion of either Catholicism or the local Protestant variant.

Freedom of religion now means the freedom to be Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or whatever. Back then, most people interpreted it to be the freedom to be whatever sort of Christian you wanted to be, rather than have your ruler decide on your behalf (as was common in Europe at the time).

America was a deeply Christian nation when it was founded though that's not the same thing as being founded AS a Christian nation. It's notable that in the US constitution and Declaration of Independence, there are many references to 'God'. Not all religions have a God and technically Jews and Muslims believe in the same God as Christians, though it's doubtful the founding fathers had this in mind.

America still is a deeply Christian nation. Far more people identify themselves as Christian in the US census than in most parts of Europe, especially the UK, or in countries such as Australia. Christians also have a lot of political clout in the US, especially in the Mid-West and South. This is why issues such as abortion or the teaching of evolution in schools are big political issues in the US but absolutely not in the UK and Australia.

Answer 7

The United States was created as a nation that would have freedom of religion. Many people today believe this to mean you also have a freedom of religion. Put more plainly you have a freedom not to have religion taught in schools, no public displays of religion, etc. I do not believe this personally. I believe that the constitution states that their will be no "state" religion, but that is as far as it goes. The people who founded this country were deeply religious people who wanted a place where people could have any faith they choose.

Answer 8

Yes the deceleration and the Constitution have god in them but they meant a higher being not the Christian god. most of the founding fathers were not Christians at all, but Purists. They believed that their is a higher being. This was the time of the Enlightenment. Everyone believed that humans received rights that can't be taken away because they were given by some higher being. Some of the ideas in the documents (Like Freedom of religion and other things) are from the Masons who were Christians AND JEWISH. Also Christianity is just a majority. With the Catholics 55% of the Nation is Christian. Masons like George Washington believe in a supreme being NOT IN CHRISTIANITY.

Answer 9

The US was not founded on a religious basis; the colonists formed it to escape the control of the British.

It was the people BEFORE the colonists (pilgrims) who came searching for religious freedom.

Answer 10

One of the reason, America is successful as a country, its that religion is kept out of the government, despite desperate regular tries by religious zealots to bring it in. Religion is opium of the masses, to keep them dumb and easy to lead. It destroys democratic processes. God help us all, if religion finds its way into Politics.