Why do people think that the founding of the United States had anything to do with religion?

Question

The King of England allowed Quakers to start Pennsylvania, and Baptist to start Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. In the Declaration of Independence nothing about religious persecution is mentioned. In fact all the religious persecution going on seemed to be between either the non-Christian natives and Christians, or between the several strains of Protestantism practiced at the time.

Okay, to clarify, I know that groups came to the US because of persecution back home, but the King of England was the one handing out the charters for groups who weren't members of his church to start colonies. So, we didn't rebel against him because of religion. I have read the Declaration of Independence quite a few times and it seems to me that the King was being a tyrant, but not persecuting religious groups in the colonies.

Answer 1

Correct... the COLONIES were initially populated by folks fleeing religious persecution... BUT, the religious "fleeing" occured 150-200 years before the founding of the United States

I LOVE that someone ACTUALLY said because the signers of the declaration of independance said it did.... or that one said that the "FRAMERS were fleeing a religious England"...

ACTUALLY boys and girls... ONLY EIGHT of the 55 Framers were born outside of the USA... 49 were Protestants of one form or another, and 3 were Catholics... that means that only THREE of the delgates had no religious affiliation !!

Jefferson, who had no religious affiliation only put in the Freedom of Religion portion to prevent a "National" religion as there'd been in England, France, and Spain.

You give good examples, but don't forget that in 1629, George Calvert, 1st Lord Baltimore in the Irish House of Lords, applied to Charles I for a new royal charter for what was to become the Province of Maryland. Calvert's interest was in his desire for the creation of a haven for Catholics in the new world.

Answer 2

The framers were leaving a religious England and wanted religious freedom in this country -- I'm not saying that's the only reason they left! I'm just saying that they wanted to make sure that in the US people had religious freedom.

It's because most of them were Christians though and most favored religion; although that doesn't mean they wanted the country founded on that. I don't know about you, but living in a religious country doesn't look fun (Iraq, Israel, etc...)

"The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion," states the 1797 Treaty of Tripoli. This document was ratified by Congress without much debate or contention and stands today as a reminder of the founding fathers' intentions.

Answer 3

Because people didn't want to follow the Church of England so they came to The US because of religious persecution. People in this country are backwards with the whole church and state seperation thing. The founding fathers put that in the constitution because they didn't want the government controling the churches they wanted people to be able to worship freely with out persicution from the state.

Answer 4

It is taught that these people who came to America wanted to be free from the King of England because of religious persecution.

Answer 5

The founding of the country had "something to do with" religion because many groups fled here to avoid religious persecution.

But the country was not founded on religious principles, and the Founders went to great lengths to ensure that there would be no national religion.

Answer 6

When this country was founded, Christianity, which was the dominant religion of the country had fractured into a multitude of individuals sects. This allowed the country not to be dominated by a specific faith, thus no state religion was adopted or necessary.

Answer 7

It is just another way for Christians to try and force their ideas down your throat!!!!!!!This country was actually founded on the principle that any religion is OK with them...That was the whole=e reason for them th abandon England.The king said to believe this way and no other way is right...Sounds a whole lot like Christians of today huh.They just don't have the power that the king of England had...good question

Answer 8

One of the reasons was because people were seeking religious freedom. That does not make it the main reason the US was founded though.

Answer 9

It had everything to do with religion. It was about the freedom to practice whatever religion you wish and about the inability for the Government to establish a national religion.

Answer 10

Because the " Founding Fathers " were religious