Was the U.S.A. really founded on Christian principles?

Question

This is commonly thrown about. But is it really accurate? I know a few of our founding fathers were not very religious at all.

To keep things interesting, here's a different perspective

http://www.scribd.com/doc/91131/Common-American-Misconceptions

Answer 1

The following was unanimously passed by the 1797 US Congress and signed into law by President John Adams:

•“As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion, …”

http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/diplomacy/barbary/bar1796t.htm

There is not a single mention of God, Jesus, or Christianity anywhere in the US Constitution The issue was discussed and the Founding Fathers voted God out, intentionally. The democratic republic they created was the first 100% secular government in human history.

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"The founders of our nation were nearly all Infidels, and that of the presidents who had thus far been elected [Washington; Adams; Jefferson; Madison; Monroe; Adams; Jackson] not a one had professed a belief in Christianity....
"Among all our presidents from Washington downward, not one was a professor of religion, at least not of more than Unitarianism."

 The Reverend Doctor Bird Wilson, in a sermon preached in October, 1831, first sentence quoted in John E Remsberg, "Six Historic Americans".
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"I have diligently perused every line that Washington ever gave to the public, and I do not find one expression in which he pledges, himself as a believer in Christianity. I think anyone who will candidly do as I have done, will come to the conclusion that he was a Deist and nothing more."

 The Reverend Bird Wilson, in an interview with Mr. Robert Dale Owen written on November 13, 1831, which was published in New York two weeks later
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THOMAS JEFFERSON

"The Christian god can easily be pictured as virtually the same god as the many ancient gods of past civilizations. The Christian god is a three headed monster; cruel, vengeful and capricious. If one wishes to know more of this raging, three headed beast-like god, one only needs to look at the caliber of people who say they serve him. They are always of two classes: fools and hypocrites."

"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.

"And the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerve in the brain of Jupiter. But may we hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with this artificial scaffolding, and restore to us the primitive and genuine doctrines of this most venerated reformer of human errors." –Thomas Jefferson, Letter to John Adams, April 11, 1823

"Religions are all alike – founded upon fables and mythologies."

"I do not find in orthodox Christianity one redeeming feature."

"Christianity is the most perverted system that ever shone on man."

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JAMES MADISON

"In no instance have . . . the churches been guardians of the liberties of the people."

"Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise."

"What influence in fact have Christian ecclesiastical establishments had on civil society? In many instances they have been upholding the thrones of political tyranny. In no instance have they been seen as the guardians of the liberties of the people. Rulers who wished to subvert the public liberty have found in the clergy convenient auxiliaries. A just government, instituted to secure and perpetuate liberty, does not need the clergy."

During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What has been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry, and persecution."

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ABRAHAM LINCOLN

"The Bible is not my book nor Christianity my profession. I could never give assent to the long, complicated statements of Christian dogma."

Answer 2

You are watching within the flawed position. The U.S. Constitution main points the connection among a federal govt (the federal government of the United States) and the a few State governments. It is a industry dating and there fore secular in nature. If you had been to seem on the constitutions of the a few States, you'll be able to see God is commemorated and in most of the constitutions of the thirteen fashioned states the Christian faith is recounted. The quote you cite got here approximately with a problem surrounding the Treaty of Tripoli. That treaty used to be signed via then President John Adams, the equal John Adams who authored the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Go learn that report and you'll be able to see we had been a Christian country variety the outset.

Answer 3

Yes...and no..

Their version of Christianity was a mix of Judaeo-Christian morality and Deism. God the Architect, God the Builder, the God the Rational.

In other words - an interpretation of God that does not jive with the current Evangelical strain nor with previous interpretations of Christianity.

The country was founded on Christian Principles, although no Sect was advocated as being "correct" (that would create State Religion). However, those Christian Principles at the time were deemed Universal - not just specifically Christian.

You may also find some rather interesting statements made by the Founders, specifically regarding their "irreligious" senseibilities (not Anti-Religious) and how while they did not specifically uphold America as a Christian Nation, they did give strong approval to it as a Religious Nation (as religion, regardless of its truth value, tended to help Civic Virtue grow).

Answer 4

Not exclusively. This government was created from untried political and social philosophies derived from the Enlightenment Era in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries. Jefferson was a strong believer in allowing man to create his own rule and was heavily influenced by the writings of Locke, Rousseau, and Hobbes. The constitution pays homage to the principles of Christianity but is not modeled after the bible. In fact no mention of god is made in the constitution. It is a largely secular document.

Answer 5

Yes, the founding fathers were either Christians, or, like humanist Jefferson, had a respect for the church and Christian principles. It was Jefferson who answered a Baptistist minister's letter concerning possible gov. meddling in the church.He said, for the protection of the church, there should be a seperation of church and state.

Answer 6

The problem is "saying" and "acting" religious, i.e. war, hate and control. Most of us choose to believe we were founded on choice to be religious but not to force it on others.

Answer 7

Yes, if you read the writings of the founding fathers, especially George Washington, this is obvious.

Answer 8

To a certain extent. Our rules of law are adopted from English law which is based in Judeo/Christian philosophy.

Answer 9

Yes, it was founded on Judeo-Christian principals. Do you REALLY think the architects of our great constitution were anti-God?