Why are so many people ignorant of America's Christian heritage?

Question

You people that believe that this nation was not founded as a Christian nation, have you ever picked up a history book? Or read the Constitution? The Declaration of Independance? Have you ever studied our founding fathers and what they believed?

If you haven't....don't call the people who have studied the ignorant ones.

I do agree that this nation is not a Christian nation now, but the truth is it was founded as such, and that was the intent of our founding fathers.

How can you deny history?

I'm not asking anyone to believe what they believed or believe what I believe.

Just don't deny the facts about America's history.

For everyone.....

"The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity."
--John Q. Adams, 6th President--

"Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian Nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."
--John Jay, 1st Supreme Court Justice--

"It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are the indispensable supporters. Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that our national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."
--George Washington--

Gazoo...

"I am a Christian, that is to say a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus. I have little doubt that our whole country will soon be rallied to the unity of our Creator and, I hope, to the pure doctrine of Jesus also."
--Thomas Jefferson--

For you Treaty of Tripoli people...

It was formed in 1796-1797.

20 some years after the founding fathers wrote the Declaration of Independance, and after our nation was founded.

What's your point? It still doesn't change the fact that America was first founded as a Christian nation.

Answer 1

The Supreme Court said in the 1799 case of Runkel v. Winemiller, “Religion is of general and public concern, and on its support depend, in great measure, the peace and good order of government, the safety and happiness of the people. By our form of government, the Christian religion is the established religion..."

(The references to God and Christianity in the state constitutions throughout our history is another great evidence, along with many other things including quotes from our founders, other Supreme Court decisions, etc. Besides the Treaty of Tripoli and a few quotes from Jefferson (along with many quotes taken out of context) there is hardly any evidence to the contrary, yet people cling to these ...as surely evidenced by the answers to follow.)

Answer 2

The founding fathers were mostly secular deists, and they were all progressives too!! Read up on what Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and George Washington had to say about religion next time please. I will defeat your entire argument with this simple question: If the founding fathers were so Christian as you claim they were, then why is America a secularist nation with a clear separation of Church and State instead of a religious theocracy? The entire concept of revolution is progressive, NOT conservative. If Christian conservatives had been in charge back then, we would still be a British territory. Would the authoritarian Christians have the courage to defy a leader/monarch/President? It was just as unlikely in 1776 with King George as it is today with your President George. Who do you think makes up the 29% in this country that still support this embarassment of a President? I think the Christians need to realize that "Just because you repeat a fabrication over and over does not make that fabrication true." And you claim to have "studied", yet it seems to me you have missed the entire point. Just because a document says "Under God" does not imply a Christian message. Maybe you need to study a book other than one that has been published by and marketed to Christians. I miss the days when Christians stayed out of politics and kept their superstitions to themselves. And as a history major, I ask you to stop disrespecting and rewriting history in order to postulate a false and obviously unresearched argument.

Answer 3

You don't have a leg to stand on. The free thinkers who started this country had their own philosophies, and many were based in Christianity, but that in no way makes this a Christian nation. Just because a president prayed or Jefferson might have believed in a creator ("the laws of Nature and Nature's God" (please note the use of nature twice)) does not ever mean they intended to found a state religion. The intent and purpose of freedom is destroyed when such values as religious belief are set into stone as law and this nation has always known that. We here in America are free to believe as we choose and this is a nation of FREEDOM, not Christianity. In this nation we can choose to believe and what we believe and it cannot ever be forced on us by the state.

Read Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptists, read every Supreme court ruling on school prayer, realize this nation is made up of more than just Christians, but Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Bahai, Jehovah's Witness, Jews and many others you probably wouldn't agree with. You need to read your history and wake up.

And by the way, I do not deny history, but embrace it, because it is the only thing keeping people like you from legally brainwashing those of us who still know what freedom means.

Answer 4

There's a difference between being founded by intellectual Christians (and Deists), and being a Christian nation.

Modern Christian zealotry only originates with the Industrual Revolution. Prior to that time, the American intelligencia was Chirstian in an Enlightment sense. If the founding fathers were around today, they would not be fundies or biblical literalists; they would have much more in common with both atheists and liberal Christians of today.

If you read more history than the chapter titles, you would realize that the last thing they wanted was a theocracy.

Answer 5

Because the majority call themselves Christians. While you are free to practice (or not practice) whatever religion you want, so is the majority. Also, while you can vote for whoever you want, so can the majority. It is only natural that a representative government represents all views of the majority of their constituency, including religion. Where we must draw the line, however, is favoring one religion over another in any governmental capacity, but this is not to mean that we should not be guided by religious values in governance, as to do so would be a grievous disenfranchisement of the will of the majority, not to mention a severe violation if the politicians' 1st amendment rights.

Answer 6

Are you stupid? This was never founded as a xtian nation... For chrissakes, the Treaty of Tripoli states, "the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion."

This treaty was written by the man who served as George Washington's chaplain, read before all of congress, Unanimously voted for, and signed by President Adams. It was even reprinted in papers across the nation and there is no record -whatsoever- of anyone criticizing or complaining about that statement.

Edit-

As expected, you'll quote mine and lie through your teeth.

Edit-

The point is that you are a fool. People like you will quote mine, take quotes out of context, and flat out lie yet when something irrefutable is placed in front of your face you say "oh, it's not important!" Idiots like you are what drag this country down.

Answer 7

The founders were deists and did not want America to be a "christian nation" but a nation for all people and all religions. I can easily deny you version of history.

Answer 8

yes i did pick up a history book.

but christians claim that those who slaughtered the natives (and stealing their land), enslaved the africans (with disregards to biblical laws about how to treat slaves), and burned witches were not "true" christians.

i find it amusing christians will take credit for founding america, but deny they were apart of the events that it was founded on. talk about hypocrites.

furthermore many of the founding fathers were actually freemason. not christian.

(if you really look into it, it was founded and settled by people seeking freedom from religious oppression and persecution)

Answer 9

OH PLEASE! WHAT A LOT OF HOOEY!Here is some history for you to consider.George Washington walked out of his church and never went back after the minister chastised Washington for his practice of refusing communion.Does that sound like Washington was a Christian?Your profile states one of your hobbies is hunting.How is the slaughter of animals for sport and pleasure Christian?People like you should be put into detention camps for re-education.

Answer 10

Thomas Jefferson rewrote the New Testament. Do you still want to say he was a Christian?