As an American do you believe this nation's founders intended the United States to be a Christian nation?

Answer 1

Honestly, I believe they had no idea that it could go any other way. So cemented was their belief in God that they did not even consider that politicians or activists would ever remove it from our halls of learning or our chambers of law and justice.

Answer 2

Split decision... People as whole were more regularly religious, but as always the educated and philosophical questioned the tenets and blind faith of the sheep. Certainly many Founders had the idea in mind, but even then it wasn't to be a Christian Nation, so much as nation filled with Christians... and that being the result of the countries Engliush and European origins. Its well known that one of our countries greatest Founders Thomas Jerfferson was not a Christian at all. Great book out now abou the election of 1800 and the role that religion played in it, and how even the most religious Founders thought that there was no place for religion in public discourse.

Answer 3

The stupidest answers I've seen #1. This nation was founded by the natives? are these people really this stupid. The natives didn't have a nation. They were made up of dozens of tribes. The closest thing to a nation was the Mayans and Inca's and that was in south America. The United States was formed by the Continental congress. The Constitution was ratified in 1786.
#2. It wasn't founded as a Christian country? 100% of the founders were raised as British subjects (a christian theocrasy) they couldn't help but be influenced by christian values. Every statue and monument dedicated to a founder has an inscription with some quote from the Bible. There are hundreds of refrences to Christianity as the foundation. Just because they believed in religiouse tolorence doesn't mean they believed in religious neutrality. Tolorence it the heart of Christianity.

Answer 4

As an American I would say yes to this question. As a Christian I would say it does not matter what the founders intended for us to be, more important is: What God intends for us to be. We will not stand before the Founders of the United States on Judgment Day.

Answer 5

it is not a question of belief. it is a question of fact, or rather various facts. first, there is the question of what they believed, i.e., were they christians or deists, but this a difficult and murky fact which some historians are now debating again. it seems to me that there was not complete consistency, since outward conformity to basic christian practices was probably just part of expected civilized behavior at the time, no matter whethere was any real faith behind it. this has always been true to some degree. f.ex., even today most atheists in the u.s would be afraid to refuse to swear and say so help me God in a court of law and merely affirm instead since that would make any jury automatically distrust them. anyway, there clearly was a sense of a distinction between christians and all others (notably jews, muslims, and "pagans") with america being identified with the christian side even by those who were most clearly deists.

it is an entirely separate question that the constitution quite clearly stated that no "religion" was to receive government recognition, incl. christian religion. i think there is great confusion here. f.ex., european countries which are much more explicitly secular than we are (e.g. france, germany) nevertheless have their leaders often talk about how a muslim nation like turkey cannot really be part of (supposedly) christian europe. there is a distinction you see between goverment status for a particular religion, which neither the modern europeans nor the founding fathers here contemplated and the recognition, even by govt leaders, that their nation happens to be overwhelming of one religion.

do you see? i hope so, because almost no one seems to get this. france is basically a christian nation, yet the french republic is emphatically and clearly secular. the same i think clearly was intended to apply to the u.s.

Answer 6

Yes, to a degree.

It was without doubt founded on Christian principles by men of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.

Despite being a Christian nation, our Founders expressely wanted to prevent the government from dictating and governing religion as was done in Europe; hence, we have the seperation of church and state. So, even though we live under Christian principles, the people are not told nor harrassed what to believe. In fact, non-Christian faiths are permitted also without Government intrusiuon. This does in no way diminish the fact that our nation was founded on and continues to be under the influence of Christian principles.

Answer 7

Indeed they did! In fact, if we look at the history of this...we will see just how much they meant it to be a Nation Under God! It is the LAWS of God which our court system was based! God's name was printed on the money. They prayed TOGETHER for this nation's success! Seperation of Church and State! I could go on!

Many of the men involved in this development of our nation, wrote about the importance of having God as our mainstay through all things this nation might endure! I think it is a shame that this is NOT being taught in our schools!

My answer to you, our founders would weep if they saw the state of this nation today!

Answer 8

I think that they intended for the States to be Free. They wrote an amendment that gave us Freedom to choose our Religion. However, at the time there wasn't a large selection of religions that there is now. As Americans have grown and science has developed the States have moved into another level of understanding. We are free to choose our Religion - Therefore, I don't think we should prosecute others for their choices. But, so many do - seems so unfair.

Answer 9

A Christian Nation? Not necessarily. A Godly Nation? Yes. One in which the government didn't interfere.

God Bless.

Answer 10

I believe what the founders intended for this nation is much less important than what this nation presently intends for itself.

But to answer your question, no, they didn't. They clearly said as much - the DoI is not part of the constitution, it was a piece of rhetoric designed to make the King aware of exactly what the rebels intended to do. Other than mention of religion in the DoI, the actual constitution we ended up with makes no mention whatever of Christianity, and this was very much on purpose. Most of the "founding fathers" were not Christians, anyway, so it wouldn't have made much sense for them to demand something of the citizenry which they were not themselves capable of giving.

Answer 11

All kinds of white men were underfoot in Philadelphia during the shaping of the US Constitution--from jerks and slave-holders to several truly great men. But the Constitution cast light on religious freedom, a radical idea in Europe and much of the world then. But by 'religious freedom' it meant exactly that--all religions. We had recently sent the British packing and the taste of religious conflict and bigotry on those two islands, Britain and Ireland, was still on the tongues of our Nation's "founders." The greats of that company wanted nothing to do with a 'state religion.' Nor should we today.