Are "some" Christians willfully ignorant of history?

Question

or just ignorant of history?
Why the claim the pilgrams founded the USA? Why the claim the founding fathers put the ten commandments on the Supreme court building? (It was not built untill 1935). Or the claim of "in god we trust" on money whaen it was not added untill 1954, the same with "under god" in the pledge 1954 when it was added.
They make false claims and ignore facts like the treaty with Tripoli article 11 1796-1797.

Do they hate history or just chose to ignore it?

For those who have pointed it out, yes Lincold was pressured to add "in god we trust to some coins durring the civil war. It was not OFFICIALLY added to currency untill 1954. History is in the details.

Answer 1

Yes, some Christians choose to believe that the 'civilized' world began when the Americas were pillaged, and that Columbus didn't commit heinous crimes against humanity. And that Earth is the oldest object in the entire Universe. They will dutifully ignore all the pagan (Greek, Roman etc) influences in their religion and in modern life. Some people live by faith alone, and they top up their 'knowledge' of the world, and of human history with political talking points/propaganda that just happens to fit in with their worldview, no matter how divorced from reality or evidence it happens to be.

Any people that discount historical and archaeological records just because they go against their chosen ideology/belief are demonstrating intellectual dishonesty. Not just Christians.

Answer 2

The claim is that the Pilgrims were the first people to establish their own independent government with a Constitution (known as the Mayflower Compact) in what would become the US.

The Phrase "In God We Trust" was added to money in the 1860's by an act of Congress. (Neither they nor the courts felt that violated the Constitution at that time).

While the current Supreme Court Building was not constructed until 1932, the old location in which the Supreme Court had been meeting since the 1860's within the Capitol Building also had the 10 Commandments posted within the Court's chamber. They are still there today, though the room has been converted to a Senate chamber. Prior to that, several chambers in Washington and before that in Philadelphia were used. All had the 10 Commandments posted in them - as far back as the time of the "Founding Fathers".

Seems like "Chrsitians" are not the only ones who are listing only selected facts, misrepresenting facts, or are wrong in what they post.

Answer 3

I would imagine some Christians just are not as well informed as you. You probably also ackowledge that Christianity and its values are closely reflected in our judicial system and law language. You might also ackowledge that these ethics have helped build our country into the superpower it is today. And that other countries that have been influenced by Christianity also enjoy a high standard of living. Or would you choose to ignore these facts?

Would you not also acknowledge that as our country has moved away from these principles, we have taken a hit in our influence and with in our own borders...more and more serious problems have arisen. Or would you choose to ignore that fact?

We can bury our heads from facts, but some have much larger consequences than others.

Answer 4

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the BLESSINGS of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. 1776

Fact Sheets: Currency & Coins

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History of 'In God We Trust'
The motto IN GOD WE TRUST was placed on United States coins largely because of the increased religious sentiment existing during the Civil War. Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase received many appeals from devout persons throughout the country, urging that the United States recognize the Deity on United States coins. From Treasury Department records, it appears that the first such appeal came in a letter dated November 13, 1861. It was written to Secretary Chase by Rev. M. R. Watkinson, Minister of the Gospel from Ridleyville, Pennsylvania, and read:

Dear Sir: You are about to submit your annual report to the Congress respecting the affairs of the national finances.
One fact touching our currency has hitherto been seriously overlooked. I mean the recognition of the Almighty God in some form on our coins.

You are probably a Christian. What if our Republic were not shattered beyond reconstruction? Would not the antiquaries of succeeding centuries rightly reason from our past that we were a heathen nation? What I propose is that instead of the goddess of liberty we shall have next inside the 13 stars a ring inscribed with the words PERPETUAL UNION; within the ring the allseeing eye, crowned with a halo; beneath this eye the American flag, bearing in its field stars equal to the number of the States united; in the folds of the bars the words GOD, LIBERTY, LAW.

This would make a beautiful coin, to which no possible citizen could object. This would relieve us from the ignominy of heathenism. This would place us openly under the Divine protection we have personally claimed. From my hearth I have felt our national shame in disowning God as not the least of our present national disasters.

To you first I address a subject that must be agitated.

As a result, Secretary Chase instructed James Pollock, Director of the Mint at Philadelphia, to prepare a motto, in a letter dated November 20, 1861:
Dear Sir: No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins.
You will cause a device to be prepared without unnecessary delay with a motto expressing in the fewest and tersest words possible this national recognition.

It was found that the Act of Congress dated January 18, 1837, prescribed the mottoes and devices that should be placed upon the coins of the United States.

Answer 5

I think a lot of people simply ignore anything that doesn't fit in with their belief system. In many cases, too, con artists like James Dobson and Bill O'Reilly offer up extremely convincing lies, and people are too lazy to check the facts.

I appreciate your use of the word "some." Not all Christians are ignorant of history, or science either, for that matter. In fact I would say the majority of Christians are intelligent enough to think for themselves. The problem is that the minority is very well-organized and vocal.

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Answer 6

'under God' was put into our Pledge of Allegiance after we helped Israel regarding the Holocaust. We didn't want to be associated with an atheist country. So? This is a blessing.

What is wrong with having the 10 commandments on the Supreme Court building? Because you are for 'women's rights' to abort her baby? There is also 'Liberty & Justice for all'. What about the littlest 'Who' in the womb?

There are a lot of 'Christianity' in the US history. To take out Christianity, we wouldn't be the US we are today. We wouldn't be blessed like we are today. We can freely worship God how we want to today. Unless people try to mess with the constitution.

I don't know all history & you don't either. We all know in part. And some of what we are learning about history is a lie. Why are you such the know it all? My God Is the 'Know it all' & I go to my God.

Also, Jesus is in history. The Word of God is since the beginning. Even out calendars reflect the time of Jesus walking the earth as the Son of God.

Answer 7

Yes, and yes. The claim that because they want it to be true. They claim it because they deny that the founding fathers were deists. They prefer the bit about "under god" and "in god we trust" not to be true. They ignore the treaty of Tripoli because it would make their claims false.

They both hate and choose to ignore it.

Answer 8

It gets worse. Dr. James Kennedy, before his death, was on a mission to prove that America was, at it's roots, intended to be a Christian nation and feeds his audience all kinds of historical "facts" to back up this assertion. Any intellectual argument against this theory can be discredited as "Satannic delusion". Like any anti-democratic authoritarianism, this perspective hates any history that does not further it's agenda. Kennedy was also promoting a Chinese Christian Crusade against Islam.

Answer 9

I love history, I am not ignorant of it...You have to be honest that most people that migrated to the new world were believers of some type..from Deist, Christian, pagan to Jew.. Both Canada and The US offer FREEDOM of religion. Many different groups had suffered horribly for their beliefs. You can not say that Puritans and other such groups had no influence on the culture!

Answer 10

You need to brush up on history a little yourself. "In God We Trust" was put on money in the 1860's in an attempt to gain support for the Union during the Civil War.

Unfortunately most people ignore history as not being relevant in their lives.

"A Society that ignores History has no past, and no future." - Lazarus Long.