Was America founded on Christian values or Godly values? And is there a difference?

Question

In many official government documents, the word God is used many many times. God is on our money, on the seal, used in Court Rooms, etc., etc. But Jesus or Christ is not named officially anywhere in the Constitution, Declaration of Independance or in any official government document. Although Jesus is mentioned in numerous speeches by some of our leaders, these are not official documents. Many of our founding fathers were Masons. George Washington even took his oath on a St James Bible from the New York Masonic Lodge. With the rule that a Mason must believe in the God of Abraham, which would include three great faiths, is this the God that our founding fathers were refering to? How can Christians claim that this country was founded on their values and their values alone? Can't other people who also believe in the God of Abraham claim any responsibility for the founding of this nation?

Thank you prOtOur.

Mahal - Christian values or Christian persecution? Seems I read somewhere that many settlers were fleeing Europe to gain religious freedom but many imposed religious rules of their own once they got here. Does Salem ring a bell?

YY4Me - Good information. Do you think Christian extremist would and/or could do it again if given the chance? I know some Penticostals that I believe would enforce capital punishment for not believing as they do if given the chance.

magpieix - I'm a 3rd degree Master Mason (the basic of all Masonry) , a 32nd degree in Scottish Rite Masonry and a Knights Templar in York Rite Masonry and also a Shriner. Yes you do have to believe in the God of Abraham!

Answer 1

The basis of American law is English Common Law, which existed for hundreds of years before christianity was "introduced" in Britain.

http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/English+Common+Law
http://ffrf.org/nontracts/xian.php
http://ffrf.org/quiz/ffrfquiz.php

"In 1797 the United States entered into a treaty with Tripoli, in which it was declared:
"As the government of the United States 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 [sic] of Musselmen . . . it is declared . . . that no pretext arising from religious opinion shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries." This treaty was written under Washington's presidency, and it was ratified by Congress under John Adams, signed by Adams."

"Roger Williams' Providence settlement founded in 1636 expressly guaranteed religious freedom. However, the Pilgrims originally were a tolerant people, when they founded Plymouth in 1620. By 1691, the Pilgrims had adopted the theocratic, intolerant Calvinism of the Puritans, who founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1628. The Puritans came to this land expressly to establish a bible commonwealth, and banished "heretics" and dissenters. In Virginia, heresy was a capital offense punishable by death by burning. Quakers were particularly persecuted. People who were not orthodox Christians were not legally protected, could be denied civil rights and jailed. *The founders of the new nation of the United States of America, conversant with extreme religious intolerance and violence in the several colonies, were determined to put an end to it. That is why they established state/church separation.*"

[Asterisks added for emphasis since I can't make the text bold.]
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Answer 2

The New World was colonized as a direct result of Christian values, the primary inspiration behind the Declaration of Independence was God as our creator, and almost all citizens were Christians. Also, the Protestant churches had a considerably larger role in government than they do now (marriage in a church was legally binding, vital records were kept mostly by churches, churches acted as court houses, the Bible was used in official proceedings and etched into plaques in government buildings, etc.)

It doesn't matter whether our records formed a theocracy or took an official stand, Christianity was at the core of everything we were and did.

The only way to have a more solid Judeo-Christian foundation would be to have Moses lead you out of slavery and elect God as your first legislator.

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If early Americans were persecutors and murderers, why was it the only place on earth where Jews felt so safe that they called it the promised land, immigrated by the millions, and failed to see the value of Zionism?

Answer 3

There is no rule that a Mason must believe in the God of Abraham at all. A Mason must believe in a Supreme Being, that's it.

Answer 4

Very good point....there's nothing wrong with gaining personal inner strength, but I have trouble with religious wackjobs hijacking government, school, and media. Why can't they just go do what they do in private?

Also, thank you for serving your country.....I still have many years left to serve....I hope it doesn't deteriorate any more than it has because religious ideoligies.

Answer 5

It was founded on religious freedom. That's why people came here. But Christian values and Godly values are the same in my way of thinking.