The US a Christian nation?

Question

Yes, many of those involved in the founding of the US were Christians. We should therefore revert to being a Christian nation, and reenact the following to better conform with the will of our founding fathers:

-only white men with a certain amount of property (to be determined) can vote

-slavery is to be made legal again

-women will no longer have any rights

-workers will no longer have any rights

-native americans will no longer have any rights

-US Senate members will be chosen by the state legislatures, not by popular vote

-members of the Senate and House of Representatives will no longer be paid, as only those with sufficient wealth to live on without employment should be allowed to serve in either house

-all social security and welfare programs shall be abolished

There will be a lot of other changes to be made, that should get us started. Will that make the Christians happy?

you people need to read some history - this was the will of our founding fathers, so obviously this is they way we should be living, according to Christians

ack - should read 'this is the way'

I am not blaming those decisions on religion, but I see a lot of Christians say that this was founded as a Christian nation - well this was the will of the founders, so this must be what the Christians want

pkillings, did you miss the sarcasm here? I am not saying anybody should be a slave

ledbetter, yes, you are correct, there were many christians involved in social movements - of course the philosophical impetus for those social movements was the enlightenment, not christianity

Answer 1

Oh yeah our forefathers in those white wigs sure knew how to run stuff the Christian way. Why oh why did we ever change anything? I'd better get back in the kitchen or have another baby and not speak until my man speaks to me. My opinion shouldn't count - our founding fathers would have wanted it that way.
Sarcasm again...

Answer 2

Understand that most Christians confuse the colonization of the Americas with the founding of the nation.

The original settlers were overwhelmingly Christian, and were moving specifically for that reason. In this sense, many of the colonies were founded as Christian colonies. This started to see a rapid downfall, however, after the Salem Witch Trials, when the governor of Massachusetts forbade spectral evidence when the girls pointed their murderous fingers at his wife.

When the founding fathers came together, most were Christian in one form or another, but many of the authors of the documents were in fact Deists. So why did the Christians sign off on Deistic texts?

Had any one of the Christian groups won, the other groups would have been slighted. The Deists really ultimately had no stake in that war, so were a logical neutral position, and one that ensured that no matter what faith was believed, it could be practiced in good faith so long as the civility of the society was maintained. Thus, the Christians among the founding fathers knowingly and intentionally signed off on Deistic documents, to ensure their own continued freedom to worship as they saw fit.

The physical colonization was Christian in origin, however, the legalistic founding of the USA (the Declaration of Indepedance and the Constitution of the USA) was Deistic in nature, and did not describe any one true correct religion. In fact, the Declaration references only once the Creator (a term Deists use since it's the only definition they ascribe to the divine), and the Constitution never mentions a creator at all.

Further, the Senate of the USA and President John Adams, unanimously, signed off on the Treaty of Tripoli in 1797 which outright stated that the USA was in no way founded as a Christian nation -- which is true. The nation was founded on Deistic principles, even though the colonies were founded on christian principles.

Article 11 reads:

"As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries."

Once you separate the two types of involved 'foundings', the issue becomes very clear.

Answer 3

Technically the founding fathers left England looking for a better place. At that time, England was ruled by the Catholic church and the Church of England. You were either one or the other. It isn't the Christians, it is the doctrines the church put in place.

But you are forgetting that people are imperfect and they make mistakes. Even those elected to power make mistakes. But we shouldn't repeat the mistakes of the past, but learn from them and improve for the future.

And in case you haven't noticed, any one can vote, black people have all the rights as the white people do and all this was made possible by amendments made to the constitution.

By the way, religion had nothing to do with the foundation of America. It was the teachings that the founders were taught.

Answer 4

Just because you are born in a Christian family doesn't make you a true Christian.In order to be a true Christian , you must live a real Christian life.All your acts should be as prescribed in The Holy Book.
Ask your heart ....do you really live a true Christian life?
I am sure, the answer in most cases is "no".
The way you described USA as a Christian Nation is not correct .It's rather quite shameful.
Whole of Europe was converted to Christianity long ago.Do they practise true Christian life?If they could follow 10% of Christian way of living , there would not have been 1st & 2nd World Wars at all.
And, USA wouldn't have dropped Atom Bomb in Nagasaki and Hiroshima in addition to other brutality at that time , especially, after Japan had agrred to surrender and accepted the conditions of the Alliance.
What USA has been doing in many parts of the world are not Christian ways of settling matters.
The outcome is bery bad.......there is hardly any moral and social value in US society.The Old ones are abandoned by their own children.The teen agers indulge in all unethical life styles practised nowhere in the world.Their is hardly any social bond in USA.There are lot of fall out of unchristian like actvities of USA and its citizens.

Answer 5

It is precisely those who believe that it should be a Christian nation who make it less so. True Christians would have the humility to step back from the law and look at their responsibility to all our people in care and concern for their welfare and well being. True religion and undefiled before God is this, to provide for the disadvantaged (poor,widowed, orphaned,aged) in their distress, and keep oneself unspotted from the world, i.e. to look after one's own morality rather than that of others.

[elohimse it's good to see you have your NAZI ideals intact, when they set up more concentration camps and death factories we'll know where to come looking. Who the hell told you any of this crap was Christian?]

[neverout your lack of Latin is showing, Novus Ordo Seculorum = a new order to the ages. It says nothing about a secular society.]

[Mark your American mythology far outstrips your American history, the Father of our Country was a slaveholder. You've also a good grasp of the Plymouth Rock myth, tell it to the remaining Naragansetts the Pilgrims failed to massacre.]

[Breg, You give too much credit to enlightenment in an unenlightened country.]

Answer 6

Do you remember George Washington? Maybe I am wrong he was 1 of the best men that came along to abolish slavery & many other things for he was a God fearing man. As for the natives they were taught Bible scriptures & that was why we have Thanksgiving today to celebrate. This goes to show how much some people only go by little faith can get you. they were taken over by greed later(the children that weren't taught properly to respect their fellow mankind. If they followed after the teachings our for fathers had given our Country would be even Greater then it is now. Whe His people that are called by His people will humble themselves, shall repent & turn from their wicked ways then will He hear from heaven, & will be merciful unto them & will heal their land 2 Chronicles7:14

Answer 7

The truth is, (from what I can tell) the founders of our country were not as Christian as many Christians would like to believe, but they were not as secular as many secularists would like to believe. They cannot in good conscience be used as the poster boys for anyone's ideology, but were complex human beings who not only varied from each other in their beliefs, but whose own beliefs changed throughout their lifetimes.

For some reason, this is hard for some people on both sides of the fence to accept.

Edit--I'm afraid we must agree to disagree on the enlightenment being the impetus for the social movements discussed here. But I suspect we can do that with good will.

Answer 8

Just because it was the will of the founding fathers, does not mean it was the will of God. In that list of wrongs and injustices perpetrated (or those that would be), where do see evidence of "Love your neighbor as yourself?"

As you said yourself, "MANY of those involved in the founding of the US were Christians".

Just because people call themselves Christians does not mean that they are. God says in his word, by their fruit you shall know them. That fruit is, love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control.

Therefore, if these traits arent in evidence to some degree in a Christian's life and character--this includes evident in the decisions they make-- chances are pretty good that person is not, in actuality, a Christian.

Galatians 5:22 (King James Version) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Micah 7:13 (King James Version) Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.

Matthew 7:16 (King James Version) Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Matthew 7:20 (King James Version) Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

If you see the following traits in professing Christians...well...

Galatians 5:19-21 (King James Version) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Hope I helped. God bless you.

Answer 9

The US was start was start as a secular nation from the get go that was the main point. The Great Seal says "Novus Ordo Seclorum" the new secular order. And even with the nation being secular all the stuff you listed happened kind or goes to show you it isn't religion causing this crap.

Answer 10

I've never understood the whole "originalist" position. By originalists, I mean people who think that things should be done the way they were originally done. I don't know if it's a real word or not.

EDIT: J. P. has a good point about the lack of understanding of the distinction between the colonizers and the founding fathers.